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THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



THE 



ILIAD OF THE EAST 



A SELECTION OF LEGENDS 

V 

DRAWN FROM VALMIKI'S SANSKRIT POEM, 



THE RAMAYANA. 



V^b FREDERIKA(klCHARDSON,) , mtfu^^ 



AUTHOR OF XAVIER AND I." 



$> 




MACMILLAN AND CO. 
1870. 

[ The Right of Translation and Reproduction is reserved. ] 






LONDON : 
R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, 
BREAD STREET HILL. 



PREFACE. 

Of the two great epic poems of India, the Ramayana 
and the Maha-bharata, the former is generally 
supposed to have claims to the greatest antiquity. 
The title of the work is derived from two Sanskrit 
words— i^//^ and ay ana, signifying the adventures 
of Rama ; the Prince whose virtuous career is therein 
recorded, being Rama Chandra, the hero of the 
Kshatriya or warrior caste, — as distinctive from Parasu- 
Rama, the champion of the Brahmans, and Bala- 
Rama, the brother of Krishna, the Hercules of Hindu 
mythology. 

Rama Chandra, like his two illustrious namesakes, 
is supposed to be an Avatar, i.e. an incarnation, of 
Vishnu, who at the request of mortals and immortals 
consented to pass through this lower phase of ex- 
istence that mankind might be delivered from the 
oppression of the demon Ravana, whose life Brahma 
had secured against all save a human hand ; but 
whilst the hero passes through his many struggles and 



PREFACE. 



afflictions in utter ignorance, or forgetfulness, of his 
divine nature, he appears for the most part as a 
courageous and devoted man, and is seldom with- 
drawn from our warmer sympathies by any display 
of supernatural endowments. 

It is probable, even, that the story of Rama's 
birth owes somewhat of its miraculous character to 
the passage of the primary legend through the hands 
of the Brahmans; who would naturally be more 
disposed to attribute Rama's virtue to some special 
condescension on the part of a celestial being, than to 
admit that an}' member of an inferior caste could rise 
to so high a state of perfection. " It is certainly likely," 
says Professor Williams in his interesting essay on 
Indian Epic Poetry, " that at some remote period, 
probably not long after the settlement of the Aryan 
races in the plains of the Ganges, a body of invaders, 
headed by a bold leader, and aided by the barbarous 
hill-tribes, may have attempted to force their way into 
the peninsula of India as far as Ceylon. The heroic 
exploits of the chief would naturally become the 
theme of song, and the hero himself would be deified ; 
the wild mountaineers and foresters of the Vindhya 
and neighbouring hills who assisted him would be 
poetically converted into monkeys, and the powerful 



PREFACE. 



and savage Aborigines into many-headed ogres and 
blood-lapping demons ; these songs would be the 
property of the Kshatriya, or fighting caste, whose 
deeds they celebrated, but the ambitious Brahmans, 
who aimed at religious and intellectual supremacy, 
would soon see the policy of collecting the rude 
ballads which they could not suppress, and moulding 
them to their own purpose." (Indian Epic Poetry, 
p. 9.) 

Professor Max Miiller 1 also gives it as his opinion 
that some actual military expedition gave rise to the 
legend of the Ramayana ; and he compares this 
struggle to the war against Persia, which did so much 
to elevate the Greek character, by demonstrating the 
superiority of valour and discipline over brute-force. 

The Ramayana comprises in all some twenty-four 
thousand verses, or slokas — the Sanskrit word for the 
peculiar metre supposed to have been invented, in 
a moment of inspiration, by the Poet Valmlki, and 
subsequently accepted by Hindu writers as the 
proper form of expression for heroic poetry. 2 The 

1 History of Ancient Sanscrit Literature, p. 1 7. 

2 Assuming that the Valmiki-sloka owes its origin to the author 
or authors of the Ramayana, we should here have proof that the poem 
was anterior to the Maha-Bharata, where the same metre occurs : — 
on the other hand, this would exclude the Ramayana from the Vedic 



PREFACE. 



poem is further divided into six books, which are 
as follow : 

The Adi-Kanda, — which commences with the 
introductory episode of Valmiki's call to be a poet ; 
then proceeds to the story of Rama's birth, of his 
childhood and early youth, of his marriage with Sita, 
and concludes with a somewhat important episode, 
viz. the triumph of the youthful warrior over Parasu- 
Rama, which incident alone suffices to show that 
the primary author or authors of the poem did not 
belong to the Brahmanic caste. 

The Ay5dhya-Kanda, — which tells of Dasaratha's 
wish to share the government with his son Rama ; of 
Kaikeyi, the jealous stepmother's plot to procure the 
young prince's banishment ; of Rama's ready sub- 
mission, and of the departure into exile of Rama, 
Sita, and Lakshmana, the devoted brother of the hero ; 
of Dasaratha's death, and of Bharata's vain attempts 
to persuade his brother Rama to ascend the throne, 
until the term of his exile had expired. 

The Aranya-Kanda, — which treats of Rama's resi- 
dence in the forest Dandaka ; of the offence given 
to Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana ; of Ravana's 

period, where the Valmiki-sloka is unknown, though in the Sutras 
there are Anushtubh and more Trishtubh-slokas. 



PREFACE. 



abduction of Sita; of Rama's search for the traitor, 
and his alliance with Sugriva, brother to the King of 
the monkey tribes. 

The Kiskindhya-Kanda, — where Sugriva relates 
the ill-treatment he has met with at the hands of 
his brother, Balin, and where Rama slays this unjust 
monarch and gives the rule to Sugriva, who in his 
gratitude sends forth his subjects to scour the country 
in search of Sita. The company of monkeys under 
the command of Hanuman, Son of the Wind, learn 
from an old vulture that Ravana has taken his captive 
to the isle of Lanka, and encamp accordingly on the 
sea-coast. 

The Sundara-Kanda, — in which we read of the 
marvellous adventures of Hanuman, who leaps across 
the sea, and after many vicissitudes discovers Sita. 
The faithful ambassador returning to fetch Rama, the 
hero and his allies are sorely put to it, to know how 
they are to cross the sea, when the Spirit of the 
Ocean appears to them, and bids them construct 
a mole ; which is done, under the superintendence of 
Nala, son of Visvakarman, the architect of the plea- 
sant heavens where dwell the gods. 

The Yuddha-Kanda, — which contains a full account 
of the struggle ; of the valour of both armies, and 



PREFACE. 



the fierce heroism of Ravana ; finally of Rama's 
triumph and the death of his adversary; of the 
vindication of Slta's purity, and — the allotted time 
having expired— of the exiles' joyous return to their 
native city. 

There is a seventh book sometimes appended to 
the Ramayana, entitled the Uttara-Kanda, which 
records the apotheosis of Rama, but it is a compa- 
ratively modern addition, and conceived in a spirit 
quite at variance with the rest of the poem. 

As may be well imagined, of these twenty-four 
thousand slokas, there are many hundreds that might 
be abstracted without in any way damaging the work's 
entireness. There are countless repetitions, besides 
digressions which occupy sometimes the best part 
of a volume. Above all, passages abound at nearly 
every page, which, though not impure in themselves, 
are calculated to offend the nicer refinement of our 
time. In spite of these drawbacks, the Ramayana is 
so rich in poetic beauty and genuine humour, — reveals 
at the same time so high a moral standard, and a 
spirit of such large and tender humanity, that it seems 
strange it should have remained so long unrecognized 
by English lovers of literature. Translations in 
Italian and French have appeared, and Schlegel has 



PREFACE. 



translated the three first books into Latin ; but up 
to the time of the commencement of this work, the 
excellent but necessarily very condensed summary 
given in Professor Williams' essay, to which I have 
referred, and some fragments translated here and 
there, by an admirer of Indian literature, was all that 
was available to the English reader. I am told indeed 
that a translation of the poem was undertaken by 
Messrs. Carey and Marchmont in 1806, and the first 
three volumes actually printed at Serampore; but 
unhappily the vessel conveying them was lost at sea, 
and only a few specimen copies, that had been 
previously despatched, arrived in this country. Of 
these, one is to be had at the reading-room of the 
British Museum ; this translation, however, only 
carrying the reader through the best part of the 
Aranya-Kanda, — that is to say, about half through 
Valmlki's production. 

It would of course require a Sanskrit scholar of no 
ordinary proficiency to render the Ramayana literally 
into English ; and whilst an immense service would 
thereby be rendered our literature, it is scarcely 
probable that such a work would become generally 
popular, both on account of the unwieldy dimensions 
of the poem, and of the other disadvantages I have 



PREFACE. 



mentioned. My object in this present work has been 
to give a readable and familiar form to these Eastern 
stories ; certainly as well deserving of general appre- 
ciation as the legends of Grecian and Scandinavian 
mythology. As regards the plan and facts of the 
story, I have been careful of course strictly to follow 
the original ; and it has been my endeavour to com- 
prehend in this small volume all the most striking 
and noteworthy incidents recorded by the inspired 
Brahman. I have told these facts in my own language, 
rather than in that of my guide, the French translator, 
Mons. Fauche, firstly, because not being able to refer 
to the original Sanskrit I have no opportunity of 
deciding how far he has himself been textually 
faithful to Valmiki ; and secondly, because such fre- 
quent and lengthy omissions would have been neces- 
sary to compress into moderate volume any general 
idea of the narrative, that the most remarkable pas- 
sages, from a poetical point of view, would have been 
eliminated, and a quite erroneous impression as to the 
style and literary value of the original produced. 

Then, as to the title I have chosen ; — I am far from 
wishing to uphold the somewhat daring theory, 
advanced by Monsieur Fauche, that Homer, during 
his voyages with his captain and disciple, Mentes, 



PREFACE. 



probably fell in with some Phoenician merchants who, 
together with Indian wares, brought also the legends 
current in that distant land, which undoubtedly the 
youthful Melesigenes never visited himself, or later, 
in his days of blindness, he had delighted to picture in 
his poetry, the richness of landscape, and the fulness 
of sunlight, in that country whence he drew inspira- 
tion. Fascinating and ingenious as this suggestion is, 
I dare not for a moment presume that it was this 
chance encounter, and no war against Ilium, nor the 
legend of any such war, that furnished the poet with 
that skeleton of facts to which his genius gave a soul. 

Nor would I ask you to admit the somewhat less 
presumptuous assertion, that the epic poems of Greece 
and India found their source in one and the same 
historical incident. 

But the analogy between the two works is striking 
enough, and the differences are sufficiently charac- 
teristic, to make the comparison interesting and 
instructive. Thus, in both instances, we have a wife 
carried off from her lawful lord, and an expedition 
undertaken to recover her and punish the ravisher. 
But, on the one hand, we have the beautiful but 
abandoned Helen ; on the other, the chaste and 
devoted Sita, whose childlike and yet heroic character 



xiv *- PREFACE. 

is one of the most charming sketches of womanhood 
I know. 

Again, whilst we admire the valour of the Grecian 
warriors, there clashes with this feeling an involuntary 
repugnance at their bloodthirstiness, which no note 
calling our attention to the different code of the so- 
called " heroic " age can do away with. But in the 
Yuddhakanda we have side by side with deeds of 
daring the generous forbearance towards a weary 
or wounded adversary, and the fair and honourable 
warfare which, one would think, must at al^times have 
been essential to true heroism. 

Stories of slaughter being monotonous as well as 
unattractive, I have chosen less incidents from the 
Yuddhakanda than from the other volumes ; but the 
kind reception of the deserter Vibhishana contrasted 
with the murder of Dolon by Ulysses and Diomed, 
after they had lured him to give them the infor- 
mation they desired, and the funeral honours paid 
to the dead Ravana, compared to the dragging of 
Hector's corpse at Achilles' chariot wheel, are suffi- 
cient to show the different standards revealed, seve- 
rally, by the two poems. 

To conclude, I cannot but break through my rule, 
for once, to translate literally the panegyric with 
which the author himself winds up the story : — 



PREFACE. xv 

" He shall be delivered from sin, the man who, in 
the world, can keep in his ears this tale of the 
Raghuide of indefatigable deeds. 

" He shall have sons, if he desire sons ; he shall 
have riches, if he long for riches ; he who in the 
world hearkens whilst they read what Rama did. 

"The young girl who desires a husband shall 
obtain this husband to delight her soul; has she 
beloved ones journeying in a strange land, it shall be 
given her soon to have them restored her. 

" Those who in the world listen to this poem, com- 
posed by Valmlki himself, shall acquire every gift, the 
object of their desire, just as they may have wished !" 

Reader ! need I excuse myself further, for having 
drawn your attention to a work of such altogether 
unusual efficiency ? 

April 1870. 



Note. — I take this opportunity of gratefully acknowledging the 
valuable assistance I have received from the eminent Sanskrit scholar, 
Dr. Haas, to whom I owe the system I have followed in rendering 
the names of the personages of our history into English. 

The Sanskrit alphabet not being equivalent to our own, there exists 
the most perplexing diversity, the same word having six or seven 
orthographies, as employed by different authors : for what homology 
of method may exist in this work I am indebted to the learned gen- 
tleman I have named. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I.] 

PAGE 
HOW VALMIKI RECEIVED THE GIFT OF POESY . . ... . . I 



CHAPTER II. 

THE STORY OF RISHYASRINGA . . .12 

CHAPTER III. 

THE DESCENT OF THE GANGA 30 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE PENANCE OF VISVAMITRA 5 1 

CHAPTER V. 

DASARATHA'S FAULT 76 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN slTA AND ANASUYA 90 

b 



xviii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

PAGE 

SURPANAKHA ..... IOI 



CHAPTER VIII. 
ravana's crime 116 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE DEATH OF JATAYU 145 

CHAPTER X. 

RAMA ALLIES HIMSELF WITH THE ORANG-OUTANG, SUGRIVA . 156 

CHAPTER XL 

THE LOVE OF INDRA 179 

CHAPTER XII. 

THE ANCIENT VULTURE SAMPATI l86 

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE ADVENTURES OF HANUMAN, SON OF THE WIND . . . I97 

CHAPTER XIV. 

NALA BUILDS A MOLE ACROSS THE SEA 24I 

CHAPTER XV. 

RAMA AND LAKSHMANA, WOUNDED BY INDRAJIT, ARE RE- 
LEASED FROM THEIR TRANCE BY GARUDA, KING OF BIRDS. 255 



CONTENTS. xix 



CHAPTER XVI. 

PAGE 

THE DEATH OF KHUMBUKARNA 269 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE LAST COMBAT — LAKSHMANA WOUNDED 284 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE LAST COMBAT (CONTINUED). — DEATH OF RAVANA . . . 294.. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE 'REUNION OF S1TA AND RAMA 301 

NOTES 3 11 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



CHAPTER I. 



HOW VALMIKI RECEIVED THE GIFT OF FOESY. 

Eighteen hundred years before the Christian era 1 a 
devout and learned Brahman, named Valmiki, withdrew 
from the habitations of men, and took up his abode in 
the wild and solitary forest. No contempt nor aversion 
for his fellows led him to abandon their society. Nor 
did he, after the manner of those times, hope by 
* macerations and self-inflicted penances to obtain 
some special boon from Brahma, some dignity in this 
world, or some assurance of happiness in the future 
state. What he sought was an unobscured vision, an 
unbiassed conscience, an impartial judgment. 

Standing near to, and on a level with it, a man does 
not perceive the true features of a country : that which 
is near obscures what is distant, or gives an erroneous 
impression of its importance ; but if he climb a moun- 

1 Vide Note I . 
B 



Chap. I. 

Valmiki 
takes tip hzs 
abode in the 
forest. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. I. 



The manner 
of his life 
there. 



tain, and look down on the whole scene, all things 
retain their just and relative proportions. 

Thus did Valmiki, from a distance, survey all life, 
that, having learnt to know living creatures better, he 
might be able to serve them more. 

The forest where he dwelt was like a marvellous 
temple reared by the hand of Nature. The trunks of 
the lofty tamarind and mango trees were as the 
columns which upheld the roof of foliage, where birds 
of a thousand dazzling hues flashed to and fro, like 
gems that had taken to themselves wings : the ground 
was richly strewn with flowering shrubs, that entwined 
their gorgeous blossoms, and wrought them into fan- 
tastic patterns : the air was heavy, as with perfumed 
incense ; and in the shady nooks and glens myriads of 
guilty creatures found sanctuary. 

For many years, the Brahman lived in these lonely 
wilds, dividing his time between contemplation, and 
the observance of those sacred rites, which are reverent 
words of greeting spoken to the universal Father, who 
is at once the source of life and its sustainer. 

The simple inhabitants of the woods soon abandoned \ 
their terror of the harmless anchorite ; he in whose 
heart dwelt the love of universal nature, whose sole 
nourishment consisted of roots and berries, and to 
whom the passion of anger was unknown, became for 
them a guru 1 and a friend, to whom they had re- 
course whenever they needed counsel or sympathy. 
Even the timid gazelles, who came in flocks, in the cool 
of even, to the borders of the stream to quench their 
1 Guru— master, teacher. 
\ 



VALMIKPS RESIDENCE IN THE FOREST. 



The 

thoughts 
•which pos- 
sessed him. 



thirst, and offer to Brahma their thanksgiving for the 
gift of lustrous waters, at his approach, would merely 
raise to his face their large, grave eyes, pleading : "We 
are at our prayers : forgive us if, just now, we do not 
wish you good-evening, dear Valmiki ! " 

Often, when the cool night had hushed the feverish 
pulses of the day, would the thoughtful Hermit pace 
the narrow pathways of the wood, pondering on dis- 
union, and cruelty, and sin, and on the best method 
of banishing them for ever from a world whose natural 
beauty they deface. Then the glow-worm would ex- 
tenuate itself, to shed forth a brilliant light, " Lest," 
he whispered, " the kindly guru tread unawares on 
some serpent or poisonous plant ! " 

The tigers and other beasts of prey would creep 
stealthily out of sight. 

" Valmiki would chide us," they said, " if he knew 
that we were about to destroy life. But what are 
we to do ? We do not find roots and berries agree 
with us." 

At the sound of his footsteps the flower would open 
pi her corolla, and ask, half sleepily, half tenderly : 

"Are you ill, Valmiki, that you are so restless? 
There is a healing virtue in my root ; pluck me, if you 
will, O saintly anchorite !" 

But the Hermit answered : 

" I am not ill, dear little sister ! It is the thought 
of the evil that is in the world, which keeps me 
wakeful." 

At length, one evening when the pensive anchorite 2 . 
sat at the entrance of his hut, reflecting as usual on gg^ 

B 2 



Chap. I. 



Ndrada is 
sent to the 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. I. 



Valmiki ex- 
plains that 
man needs 
an example 
of human 
virhte to 
stir his emu- 
lation. 



the method of rendering man noble and generous 
and pure, Narada, the messenger of the gods, ap- 
peared to him. When he saw the knit brows and the 
earnest gaze of the Hermit, he smiled, and said to 
him : 

" By the contemplation of the glorious Immortals, 
on whose raiment is no speck of dust, and whose heads 
are crowned with garlands of undying flowers ;. by the 
recital of the deeds wrought by their invincible might ; 
by the history of their bounteous gifts and heroic lives, 
the soul of man must be elevated. Is not this so, 
Valmiki?" 

"Nay," answered the Hermit, sadly ; "I once thought 

this, but I was in error ! Man is not immortal— he is 

not strong, nor rich, nor joyous; his garments— ay, 

and his soul too — need to be cleansed often from 

defilement. How then shall he be incited to great 

j actions by the achievements of the gods ? Gazing on 

the sun, does he learn how to shine ; or on the ocean, 

to engulph great rocks ? He says of such deeds, truly, 

j they are great, but they were not wrought by men /" 

" How then shall he be ennobled ?" asked Narada. 

The Brahman was silent for a while, reflecting 

deeply ; then he answered : 

" Were it possible to hold up in his sight one clothed 
like himself in mortal flesh ■ poor and weak, and tried 
by suffering even as he is, who has yet done generously 
and well ; who has upheld truth and justice, endured 
sorrow without bitterness, controlled his passions, and 
dealt kindly by all living creatures : then truly had he 
a pattern whereby to shape his life — an example to 



NAR ADA'S VISIT TO VALMIKI. 



stir his emulation, and fire him with the thought : 
' Shall not I attain to this heroism ? Am not I also 
a man ? ' " 

" Ay," answered the god, " you say truly ! But 
can there a man be found whose life displays, indeed, 
this unblemished virtue ? In all the three worlds, is 
there such an one?" 

" I, who honour Mankind, would fain think so," 
answered the Hermit, meekly. " It is true that it has \ 
not been vouchsafed me to meet with one thus per- j 
feet in mind and deed, but Humanity is great, and | 
counts many heroes." 

At that, the messenger of the gods smiled his 
approval. 

"You do well," he answered, "to believe in ma?i ; ! 
that is a faith conducive to high and generous deeds. 
Yes ; there exists, indeed, a Hero who has clearly | 
shown that the human load of suffering and weakness I 
is powerless to impede the upward growth of him who 
raises his soul above dishonour, and whose glowing 
deeds must kindle men's self-respect, and show them, j 
as in a mirror, the noble stature to which it befits | 
them to attain. 

" Rama, the son of Dasaratha, is the name of this 
illustrious Hero. By respect for his father's promise 
unwittingly given to Kaikeyi, his treacherous step- 
mother, this young prince, the heir to the throne, aban- 
doned the court, and the fair town of Ayodhya, and 
wandered forth into exile. In the solitary forest, with ! 
Lakshmana, his brother, and his wife, the lovely young 
Sita, he led a contented existence, banishing all resent- 



Chap. I. 



Ndrada asks, 
is tkere a 
man worthy 
to be an 
exa7nple 1 
and Val- 
mlki admits 
he knows 
none. 



The god 
briefly tells 
the life of 
Rama. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. I. 



ment from the minds of his companions, as well as 
from his own. The innocent guests of the wood he 
avoided injuring or alarming ; but when the blame- 
less anchorites implored protection against the evil 
Rakshasas, the enemies of gods and of men, he armed 
himself in their defence. During this war, Ravana, 
the king of the Rakshasas, having artfully disguised 
himself as a hermit, entered the dwelling of Rama and 
carried off the beautiful Sita, in spite of her supplica- 
tions for mercy. Indignant at this outrage, the birds 
and beasts of the forest, one and all, promised to 
succour this Rama, who had ever shown a tender 
regard for their safety. Even his terrible grief for the 
loss of his beloved Sita did not render the Hero 
indifferent to the wrongs of others. In his pursuit 
of Ravana, having encountered the mournful ape, 
Sugriva, whom the unjust suspicions of Bali pursued 
from place to place, he espoused the cause of the 
innocent monkey ; and when the unnatural Bali was 
'about to murder his younger brother, he slew this 
unjust monarch of apes, and gave the empire into the 
hands of Sugriva. Thus he won the devoted attach^ 
ment of these agile lords of the forest. Hanuman, 
the prime minister of Sugriva, the daring son of the 
Wind, having traversed at one bound the seething and 
turbulent ocean, discovered Sita, confined in the 
Island of Lanka. Thus was Rama recompensed for 
not having disdained the affection of inferior crea- 
tures. Having marched with Lakshmana, and Su- 
griva, and the whole army of apes, the magnanimous 
Dasarathide slew the Rakshasa in battle, and gave to 



NAR ADA'S CHARGE TO THE HERMIT. 



his vanquished enemy the obsequies befitting a king. 
Then, the fourteen years of exile to which the promise 
had bound him having expired, he returned, with his 
joyous Sita, to the happy town of Ayodhya. There 
sharing the empire with Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, 
who had nobly reigned in his absence, the illustrious 
Rama seeks to ensure the happiness of his people 
by a wise and merciful government. An obedient 
son, a loyal brother, a chaste spouse, a faithful ally, 
a fearless yet a merciful enemy, disdainful of 
none, but filled with kindly consideration for all 
living creatures, tell me, O saintly anchorite ! does 
not this kingly Rama wear a crown of transplendent 
virtues?" 

Then Valmlki, transported with gladness, ex- 
claimed : " This is the man I have sought, whose 
story shall bring to the hearer the knowledge of Truth 
and of Virtue ! " 

" And now," continued Narada, " can there a bard 
be found worthy to hymn the life of this hero — his 
patience, his chastity, his valour, and his tender 
respect of life ? In all the three worlds, is there such 
an one ? " 

Then the head of the humble anchorite was bowed 
mournfully on his breast. 

"Alas ! " he answered, " I know not such an one!" 

" Yet," returned Narada, " he lives, this poet, who 
shall give to the noble deeds of Rama the wings of 
harmony, that they may brood over the souls of men ; 
keeping nobleness and generosity and purity ever in 
their sight ! I charge you, Valmlki, by your love for 



Chap. I. 



Valmlki ex- 
claims tkat 
here is the 
perfect m<in 
he has 
sought. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. I. 



Charged by 
the god to 
discover a 
poet able to 
sing the 
story of 
Rama, Val- 
miki is 
troubled. 



He prepares 
to bathe in 
the lake Ta- 
tnasd, when 
he sees two 
herons of 
rare beauty. 



man, that you rest not until you have discovered this 
inspired bard ! " 

With that the divine envoy returned to his celestial 
home. 

The Hermit was sore troubled by his last words. 
"How shall I discover this highly gifted poet in these 
solitary wilds ? " he asked himself. " Surely my Dis- 
ciple, Bharadvaja, is not he? " 

And with that he turned an inquiring gaze on his 
Disciple. Now Bharadvaja was an excellent young 
man, but of a simple and mild demeanour • the fire 
of Poesy looked not forth from out his eyes. 

More and more perplexed, haunted by the words — 
" I charge you, by your love for man, that you rest 
not until you have discovered this inspired bard!" 
— Valmiki arose, and sought the little lake Tamasa, 
whose waves are limpid and transparent as is the soul 
of a Brahman. 

"To be clean and pure is to attain great wisdom," 
said the Hermit, thoughtfully ; " in these fresh waters 
will I lave the body that has been put under my 
dominion ; and may the One Divine Spirit, in whose 
hand lies my soul, so cleanse it also that no earthly 
defilement may dim its perceptions ! " 

So saying, the saintly Anchorite prepared himself 
reverently for those ablutions which to the Brahman's 
mind have so holy a significance. 

Whilst he yet lingered on the brink, he beheld, on 
the opposite shore of the lake, two herons of surpass- 
ingly beautiful plumage. It was the season when an 
ineffable tremor thrills all Nature, and when she 



THE DEATH OF THE HERON. 



responds with passion to Love's whispered invi- 
tation. 

There is, at this time, more beauty in the world : all 
living things are radiant with ardour ; the colours of 
the trees and flowers are of a richer dye ; the insects 
wrap themselves in fire, and all birds break forth into 
song ! 

" We thank Thee, O Supreme Author of life ! " 
exclaimed these herons of marvellous plumage, " for 
the gift of lustrous waters; for the wings which give us 
empire over the realms of air; but, above all, we 
thank Thee for the mysterious transports of love, which 
make us find all bliss, each in the other ! " 

But even whilst these harmless birds expressed thus 
joyously their thanksgiving, the arrow of some pitiless 
hunter hissed through the startled air, and, piercing 
the poor breast of one of the winged lovers, destroyed 
the life that had just reached the supreme moment of 
delight ! Then the dolorous shrieks of the bereaved 
heron, who beheld his innocent mate stretched there 
dabbled in blood, saddened the shores of the lake 
Tamasa; saddened, too, the heart of the kindly 
Hermit. 

" O cruel hunter ! " he cried ; " mayst thou attain 
no glory in the eternal revolution of years, since thou 
hast not feared to strike this heron in the delirious 
moment of love ! " 

As the bubbling springs gush from the breast of 
Prithivi, 1 so leapt the words from his heart; and as 
the sound of flowing waters mellows itself into 
1 Prithivi— goddess of the soil. 



Chap. I. 



One of the 
birds being 
slain by a 
hunter, 
Valmiki de- 
plores the 
deed. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. I. 



He is struck 
by the melo- 
dious sound 
of his oiuii 
•ivords. 



Brahma 
viszts the 
Hermit, and 
bids him telt 
what pre- 
occupies 
him. 



harmony, so did his grief for the desolate bird sing 
itself into measure ; swaying his thoughts to and fro, 
with a musical, dreamy movement, as the breeze blows 
forward and back the boughs of the sad Casserina. 

The rhythm of his lamentation rang in his ears 
whilst he bathed in the limpid waters ; and even when 
he quitted the crystal lake, the enchanting measure still 
haunted him. Against his will he kept repeating it 
over and over, until, sorely puzzled and distressed, he 
fancied that some charm had bewitched him. Per- 
ceiving that his Disciple was regarding him with 
astonished eyes : 

" Tell me, my son," he asked, very humbly, " is 
there not a strange melody in the words you hear me 
repeating over to myself?" 

" I cannot say," answered his Disciple. For 
Bharadvaja, though an excellent young man, had not 
received the gift of Poesy. 

That day Brahma himself, the magnanimous 
ancestor of worlds, came to visit the meek Anchorite. 
Having reverently bowed himself to the earth, Valmiki, 
his hands clasped above his head, as is befitting in the 
presence of one worthy of honour, begged the most 
illustrious of gods to inform him of his pleasure. 

Then Brahma said : " The fame of your great wis- 
dom and sanctity has reached me, O Hermit! I would 
hear you speak of virtue and knowledge, and of 
the grave contemplations that have absorbed your 
mind during your habitation in this forest." 

Valmiki thought to tell his illustrious guest of 
the way to encourage man to become noble, and 



VALMIKI APPOINTED TO TELL RAMA'S STORY. 



generous, and pure. But his rebellious tongue, instead 
of obeying his will, once more repeated the musical 
words in which he had deplored the death of the 
heron. 

Abashed and covered with confusion, the humble 
Anchorite trembled before the most ancient of gods. 

" He will think I mean to mock him ! " he said to 
himself, mournfully. 

But the eternal Brahma smiled, and said : " Happy 
art thou, Valmiki, who hast found favour in the sight 
of the ardent goddess of eloquence ! The divine 
quality of pity has drawn to thee the burning kiss of 
the capricious Saraswati ! Up, then, O man ! who 
hast tasted an immortal's love, speak forth the Divine 
breath which inspires thee ! Sing to the listening ages 
the wondrous history of Rama, whose ineffable beauty 
shall not fade till the stars grow dim in heaven." 
. . . Thus did Valmiki, in whose heart dwelt the 
love of universal nature, receive the divine gift of 
Poesy, in exchange for tears of pity ! 



Chap. I. 

Valmiki 
ca7ifind no 
words save 
those of his 
lament for 
the heron. 



Brahma 
says he has 
earned the 
favour of 
the goddess 
of harmony, 
and bids him 
sing- the 
deeds of 
Rama. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE STORY OF RISHYASRINGA. 



Chap. II. 



"In the consideration of Nature, we should keep two 
thoughts present to our minds : first, that we have 
before us no merely interesting subject for investiga- 
tion, but the Mother from whence we proceed, and of 
whose very body we are made; whence it follows that 
we are, in a certain sense, indulging in contemplation 
rather than observation * that the laws we are seek- 
ing to discover, the life we are striving to trace 
through its various evolutions and changes of form, 
are the same laws which regulate our own being, and 
the process of development which we also are bound 
to follow. Secondly, we should recollect that there is 
nothing visible and sensible which does not symbolize 
something immaterial and spiritual ; so that we have 
here to establish, not merely the physical resemblance 
between our own life and that of Nature, but to read 
the special secret, of our inner being which lies here, 
written in hieroglyphic characters : thus may we 
frequently learn by sudden revelation, as it were, 

1 Recounted by the sage Sumantra, in the ears of Dasaratha, 
father of Rama. 



LOMAPADA PLEADS WITH BRAHM. 



13 



more than long hours spent in analysis of our sensa- 
tions and ideas will disclose. 

Overhead, the serene unbroken azure, and the sun 
laughing in his golden splendour ; underfoot, the arid 
dust, the shrivelled grass, the yellow leaf, the dead 
flower ; can there be a more pitiful sight ? What 
makes the special horror of the drought is this con- 
trast : death and decay in the centre of sunshine ! The 
earth is cut off from all communication with heaven ; 
that is why her beauty fades. Let the grey cloud-mes- 
sengers, with their filmy wings, float down to her and | 
whisper her, that the sky thinks of her with tearful 
longings, and straightway she will revive and smile. 

In the midst of prosperity the heart of man is 
parched and arid also, without the kindly dews of 
sympathy ; and if the supernal message of love fall 
not on him from the skies, the sweetly perfumed 
blossoms die, ere ever they have rent through the bud. 

Once upon a time, in the country of the Angas, there 
was a sore dearth for want of rain. The sufferings of 
the earth-mother were shared by all living creatures ; 
the gasping land was too feeble to bring forth fruit or 
herb, so the animals died, and the men grew wan 
from "hunger. Lomapada, king of the Angas, having 
vainly implored the succour of Vishnu, the penetrat- 
ing spirit, whose essence thrills all being, and in 
whose sight all life is precious, grew weary of the 
burthen of existence. 

"Eternal Spirit!" 1 he moaned, flinging himself on 
the earth, " life is too grievous ; let me die." 
1 Vide Note 1. 



Chap. II. 



In the 
cotcntry of 
the Angas 
there is a 
drought. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. II. 

King Lo- 
mapada 
lame /its 
himself. 



He calls his 

councillors 

together. 



" In Thy sight, the light of eternity masters the 
shadows of time, Thy love embraces the infinite ; 
and destiny, which is Thy will, works for the good of 
the universe ! I know Thou art just I would not 
reverse Thy decrees, Thou who alone art, and in 
| whom all that is, exists. But / am the prisoner of 
time, and these days are altogether evil ; as far as my 
vision extends, is nothing, .save pain and sorrow. 
Alas ! my heart is that of a man; it comprehends 
nought, save the grief of its fellows ! And I am king 
of this people ; mutely their eyes hang on me, as on 
the face of their father ! How can I bear this, and 
live ? All their sufferings are felt by me ; the weight 
of their accumulated misery is bowing me down to 
the ground! O Brahm I 1 if there be no succour, call 
me back to Thy bosom ; and let me return to uncon- 
sciousness!" 

Having breathed forth this supplication, the mon- 
arch arose, and summoned to his presence his minis- 
ters and courtiers, and all the Brahman s and holy 
men in his domain who devoted their lives to prayer. 

"Can none of you," he asked, •" suggest how this 
curse may be removed from the land ? I am resolved 
to put an end to my life, if I cannot assuage my 
people's distress !" 

Then a holy Brahman stepped forth from the 
council. His life had been pure and tranquil; so 
that his soul reflected the Divine Will, as a still lake 
gives back the blue of heaven. 

" Listen, O king," he said. " In the deepest shades 
1 Vide Note I. 



THE STORY OF VIBHANDAKA. 



15 



of the forest dwells a hermit, named Vibhandaka. 
Long ago he left this city, his heart full of bitterness 
and morose hatred for men, because amongst them 
he had found crime and folly. He despised pleasure 
too, and scorned beauty ; for once he had been de- 
ceived by both. Taking with him his infant son, 
Rishyasringa, he chose a cave, in the wildest glen of 
the wood, to be this young child's nursery. 

" ' I give thee, my son,' he said, ' the savage beasts 
of prey for comrades ; from them thou wilt learn less 
cruelty and wickedness than from thy fellows ! ' Thou 
shalt hear the parrot shriek, the jackal howl, the lynx 
mewl, and the hyaena screech, but thou shalt be 
spared the discordant voice of man ! Here, amid 
reptiles and venomous insects, thou shalt yet live in 
ignorance of what is most vile and loathsome in 
Nature ! Exposed to the caprices of heaven, a thou- 
sand dangers attending thy every footstep, thy life a 
series of hardships, afflictions, and perils, thou shalt 
know more peace and security than in the crowded 
city. Grow then; and, if it be possible, lose the 
base nature Brahm has laid on thee ; and ignore that 
thou art that vile and miserable creature, — a man !' 

"Thus has Rishyasringa grown from childhood to 
youth and heard no human voice, and looked on no 
human face save that of his father. Dreading the 
irascible hermit, the hunter who passes that way, 
or the pious anchorite who chances on the solitary 
cave, steals away with silent haste ; even the prowling 
beasts of the forest avoid it ; for the immortals having 
promised to grant Vibhandaka what boon he would, 



Chap. II. 

A Brahm mi 
tells how the 
inorose Vib- 
handaka 
has brought 
up his sou 
in the wilds 
of the 
foi'est. 



He tells how 
Vibhandaka 
having the 
power to 
curse, the 
cavern is 
avoided by 
all. 



i6 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IT. 



lie counsels 
to fetch this 
young 
recluse, and 
promises the 
drought 
shall cease. 



None seem 
disposed to 
go on this 
errand. 



as a recompense for his austere life, he craved the 
power to curse. 

"And now, Rishyasringa has become a man; and in 
his heart all manner of generous and noble qualities 
are in danger of death, as are the fruits of this starv- 
ing land. The gods have chosen this youth to be 
the achiever of noble deeds, and the father of a 
gallant race ; and it is thou, O King Lomapada ! who 
shalt rescue him from the rule of this bitter ascetic ; 
who shalt fling open the doors of his heart, that his 
brethren may make it their home ; who shalt teach 
him the noble ardour of love, by giving him thy 
daughter Kanta to wife ! Thou shalt give this hero 
to the world; and in return the grateful clouds will 
pour their treasures of rain at thy feet, that thy thirsty 
land may revive !" 

When he heard that, Lomapada sprang from his 
throne, and asked his ministers and courtiers : 

" Which of you will, forthwith, set out in search of 
this young hermit?" 

At first there was a stir among them; and each 
said to his neighbour: 

" This is an honourable mission ; it well befits one 
so illustrious as yourself ! " 

But none came forward and said, " I will go." 

At length a kinsman of Lomapada, and the most 
valiant prince among the Angas, stepped forth and 
said : 

"Tell me, O saintly Brahman ! has this Vibhandaka 
indeed received from the immortals the power to 



curse 



LOMAPADA' S PLAN. 



17 



"Yes," answered the holy man; "the gods promised 
to grant him what he would : thus he obtained from 
them this terrible boon." 

Then all the company exchanged dismayed glances; 
there was no more talk of going to fetch Rishyasringa.' 

But Lomapada looked from one to another, eagerly. 

"None offers himself for this mission?" he ex- 
claimed. "Alas! and my people dying around 
me ! " 

However, when a few days had elapsed, the sorrow- 
ful monarch once more summoned his ministers to 
his presence. 

"I have thought of a plan," he said, "by which 
we may bring this young man hither, and yet avoid 
the curse of the terrible Vibhandaka. Do you still 
refuse me your aid ?" 

Then the courtiers, reddening with shame, answered 
him : 

" Never did we refuse you our aid, O Lomapada ! 
We are your slaves, and at your word will risk our 
lives, or even incur the terrible curse of Vibhandaka!' 1 

Under their breath they murmured : 

"Is he once more going to ask us to undertake 
this perilous enterprise ? Why should the arrival of 
Rishyasringa remove this curse from our land?" 

"Hearken," said Lomapada: "this youth has 
spent all his life in the woods ; he has seen only the 
blameless animals and birds, the reptiles and ferocious 
beasts, and his father, whom hatred for his kind has 
transformed into a savage ! How shall it be, think 
you, when Rishyasringa beholds, for the first time, the 
c 



Ckap. II. 



The king- 
suggests a 
plan to 
rescue 
Rishyas- 
ringa. 



iS 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



lovely countenance of woman ? Though ignorant of 
the name of love, he cannot be a stranger to the fire 
of passion. Experience may not have shown him 
how to think, but nature has taught him how to feel. 
As through the dimness of night the ocean swells 
towards the moon, so is the blind heart of youth 
drawn by the beauty of woman; it knows not, nor 
stays to ask, wherefore. 

" Fit me out, then, a spacious vessel ; plant it with 
trees and shrubs, with mosses and flowers and ferns, 
so that it may seem like a blooming island, and let 
the most lovely maidens in my kingdom embark on 
it, disguised in the dress of anchorites, that seeing 
them in this familiar garb Rishyasringa may have no 
misgivings. Then let the wind and the floating river 
drift these charming young messengers near to the 
solitary hermitage; and in the absence of Vibhandaka, 
let them lure this youthful savage on board their 
delicious vessel. Or I greatly err, or my little 
maidens will soon return, bringing me the willing 
captive you dared not go to seek ! See that my 
orders are obeyed without delay, that the clouds 
may once more pour down their generous rains to 
rejoice the hearts of all creatures ! " 

When the ministers heard the project of Loma- 
pada, they were delighted beyond measure ; and at 
once set about organizing the expedition. Now that 
it had devolved on others to fetch the young hermit, 
they were quite convinced that it was of the highest 
importance that the Brahman's advice should be 
conscientiously obeyed. 



THE SOLITARY LIFE OF RISHYASRINGA. 



19 



So the young maidens embarked on the vessel 
that was like a blooming island, and the wind and 
the floating river soon drifted them near to the 
solitary hermitage. 

Now, latterly, Vibhandaka had avoided, as much as 
possible, the society of his son. Truth to tell, he 
knew he was a dangerous companion; he was of 
such an irascible temper, and the habit of cursing 
had so grown upon him, that he frequently uttered 
the most withering invectives, half inadvertently. To 
avoid any irretrievable mistake of this sort, he kept 
out of Rishyasringa's way. It was his custom to 
seize his hermit's staff, at early dawn, and sally forth 
into the woods; and he would wander about until 
the fever of his malice was worn out, and his baneful 
energy exhausted. 

Thus Rishyasringa was often left many days by 
himself; that is to say, quite alone : his heart was no 
companion to him, for it was only peopled by vague 
desires. 

One evening that there were many sighs in the 
young man's breast, and that his head was heavy, he 
knew not why, he strolled forth into the glen in search 
of sweet roots and berries. It was that marvellous 
hour which closes the tropical day, when Light be- 
comes an Illusion, and ecstatic Nature beholds the 
vision of her expired Lord. The greyness of twilight 
is not there : Mystery casts off the shade and clothes 
itself in radiance. The natural order is reversed : 
Reality assumes vagueness, whilst the Dream becomes 
irrefutable ! 

c -z 



Chap. II. 

The 
messengers 

chosen by 
Lomapada. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. II. 



At the same time there is nothing to apprehend. 
This enchantment is altogether lovely: the weird, 
the grotesque, the fantastic even, have no part in it. 
Touched by this nebulous splendour, all colours are 
rarefied, not dimmed ; all forms rendered ethereal, 
not distorted nor effaced. 

Under the stately plantain, and the sweetly per- 
fumed mango, passed the dreamy Rishyasringa. Over- 
head he heard the hushed twittering of birds, as 
they nestled close to each other under their canopy 
of leaves. On either side of the narrow path Vibhan- 
daka had torn out of the flowery wood, stretching into 
the heart of the silent forest, he saw the long grass 
and the feathery ferns, kissed here and there by this 
translucent light ; and springing up every now and 
again, the prickly cactus, with its blood-red flowers, 
and the jessamine with its wreaths of snow, and other 
blossoms of soft and brilliant hues, that seemed to be 
whispering somewhat to their glossy leaves ;— he had 
not dared to step on one side and wander amid this 
beauty; he felt that it concealed a secret; felt, too, 
that he was the only being here who did not under- 
stand nor share in it ! 
He was very sad. 

Presently a shower of dates, that came rattling on 
him from a palm-tree above, roused him from his 
reverie ; looking up, he perceived perched on the 
topmost bough a squirrel, who, in confusion, had 
wrapped its face in its bushy tail ; but two bright black 
eyes gleamed through the fringing shade anxiously. 
" Oh dear," it said, penitently, " I'm so sorry ! the 



RISHYASRINGA DEPLORES HIS LOT. 



branch I sprang from shook itself, and so the fruit fell. 
I assure you it shook itself. Don't curse me, noble 
son of Vibhandaka !" 

" Curse thee, thou foolish little squirrel?" said the 
young hermit, with a mournful smile ; "I would rather 
bless thee, if the power were mine ! " 

A little further on he came upon a solitary gazelle. 
It stood in the shadow of a Casserina fir, the saddest 
of forest trees. 

There were large tears in its eyes. 

"Alas !" it moaned, " my harmless companion, who 
would not even crop the young flowers that craved for 
life ! — yet, because she bounded across his path, the 
cruel Hermit slew her with his malediction ! Ah me ! 
and I am left alone !" 

Then Rishyasringa had essayed to comfort the 
mournful beast, saying : 

" I too am solitary ; let us weep together ! " 

But at sight of him it started and prepared for flight. 

" Do not fear me," pleaded the youth ; "for worlds 
I would not do thee ill !" 

" You are the son of Vibhandaka ! " was the answer. 

" Nay," said Rishyasringa, meekly ; " thou and I 
have one Father, to whom we both owe life. We are 
brothers ; oh, do not fear me ! " 

But with the words, " You are the son of Vibhan- 
daka" the timid gazelle had fled. 

Then bitterly, and with tears, the lonely Rishyas- 
ringa flung his arms up into the empty air : 

" Wherefore, O Brahm ! " he cried, " hast thou 
drawn me from the void, and dowered me with sense 



Chap. II. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. II. 



R ishyas- 
ringa sees 
the young 
maidens in 
the garb of 
anchorites. 



and conscience, and this carefully constructed frame ? 
Creation's scheme were perfect but for me ! I see the 
marvellous unbroken thread of life binding together 
all that is by sympathy and interchange of service ; 
X only — I, in whose identity the various powers and 
efficiencies of nature would seem to meet— am with- 
out the circle ! 

" Behold, in me is the power of song ; but there are 
none to hearken to my lay! Strength have I, but 
there is nought to conquer; skill— but wherefore 
should I toil ? Thoughts which have wings flock to 
my mind, but whither should they fly? Stars and 
flowers and pearls are mine, but whom should they 
enchant ? Desires have I, but they find no goal ;— 
fire, but it eats into my life ; a heart which hungers 
after love, but starves !" 

Even as he spoke, on the air came floating to him, 
gradually, slowly, as sail the swans a-down the sacred 
river, a breath that grew into a whisper, a whisper 
that broke into a song, a song that woke the jealous 
birds up in their nests, that roused the echoes from 
their sleep, and won from them a very fond response ! 
Then to the astonished eyes of the young recluse 
appeared, bounding towards him through the wood, a 
company of wondrous anchorites, whose countenances 
were radiant as the sun, and whose forms seemed more 
than mortal ! 

Smiling and singing— gems sparkling beneath their 
homely garments, their silver nupura 1 ringing out 
the time of their footsteps— they danced nearer to 
1 Nupura — anklet worn by Indian women. 



RISHYASRINGA MEETS THE KING'S ENVOYS. 



him, and nearer. The air crept round, and wrapt them 
in perfumes ; the trees showered down on them 
blossoms ; the caressing flowers kissed softly their 
feet. The wind played with the folds of their raiment : 
stirred them — then shivered with dread ! 

Rishyasringa trembled more than the wind. 

In the acacia-tree the kokila, the most amorous of 
birds, softly, softly warbled its pain. 

Rishyasringa dared not even sigh ; but his pain was 
more than the kokila's. 

Opposite the young hermit they paused ; they 
ceased singing; they surrounded him; they looked 
into his face with their large dreamy eyes ; they looked 
into his face and smiled ! 

Rishyasringa smiled too — and trembled. 

" Who are you ?" they asked. " Do you dwell alone 
in this forest ? O beautiful youth ! tell us your name, 
and why you dwell in this desolate forest." 

He answered : 

"I am Rishyasringa, the son of Vibhandaka. I 
know no world save this forest. You say true, it is 
desolate ; and yet " 

Then he broke forth, eagerly : 

"Nay, it is not desolate, oh believe me ! not very 
desolate ! If you would linger here a while, graceful 
strangers, I would show you that it is not unlovely. 
My hermitage is near at hand ; it is a cavern in the 
rock ; the walls are glistening with silver ore, and 
creeping shrubs hang their green tracery before its 
mouth. No venomous reptiles nor beasts of prey 
approach it. In this glade are sweet roots and berries 



Chap. II, 



He invites 
them to 
visit his 
hermitage. 



24 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. II. 



Uneasy lest 
Vibhandaka 
should 
return, they 
dare not 
linger. 



and luscious fruits, which I will gather for you ; and 
close by is a river where your reverences can bathe : 
the overhanging trees shelter it from the sun, and its 
waters are pure and cool. If you love flowers, there 
are many here of brilliant colours, and of the sweetest 
perfume ; and there are birds too ; the kokila sings 
ever in the acacia-tree. Oh, believe me, it is an ex- 
cellent forest, and not desolate !" 

At his breathless words they laughed merrily ; and 
their voices were like running water. Rishyasringa 
laughed too ; he knew not why. 

"Show us your hermitage, gentle youth!" they 
cried ; and some of them twined their round, young 
arms through his ; and one laid her soft, warm cheek 
upon his shoulder, and whispered : " Show us your 
hermitage, Rishyasringa ! " 

So he led them to the cavern in the rock, and gave 
them sweet roots and berries and luscious fruits ; he 
brought them water too to wash their feet ; and offered 
them the eight things of the Arghya, 1 according to the 
rites of hospitality. 

From time to time the youth and these lovely maidens 
exchanged wistful glances, and smiled one on the other. 

But the blooming messengers of Lomapada were 
not without uneasiness. 

"If Vibhandaka should return," they thought; 
"surely he would blight our beauty with his potent 
curse, and distort our forms, as did the angry Marut to 
the daughters of the King Kusanabha." 2 

So after a while they sprang to their feet, and said : 
1 Vide Note 2. 2 Vide Note 3. 



THE MAIDENS QUIT THE HERMITAGE. 



25 



" Farewell, Rishyasringa, and thank you for your 
hospitality." 

"Farewell?" exclaimed the youth ; "and you would 
leave me? lovely strangers, I beseech you stay 
with me ! " 

"And Vibhandaka?" they said. 

Then Rishyasringa thought : 

" My churlish father would surely do them some ill 
turn ! " 

" You are right," he said. "Alas ! farewell !" and 
with that he bowed his head down upon his hands. 

" When they are gone, I shall die," he thought. 

" Nay but, Rishyasringa," said the damsels, " shall 
we not see you more ? Will not you visit us also in 
our hermitage ? Do you not love us, gentle youth, that 
you ask not where we may be found ? " 

He looked up at them, half in wonder, half in 
hope : 

"I have seen," he said, " the bright stars rain down 
from heaven ; for a moment there was light — after- 
wards the blackness was more intense. Were it not 
madness to seek to trace such stars ? " 

" Nay," they laughed, " not if they lay gleaming at 
one's feet ! Our hermitage is so near that, if you seek, 
you cannot fail to find it." 

And with that, waving their hands to him and 
saying, one by one, " Farewell, Rishyasringa ! " they 
passed out of the cavern. 

When Vibhandaka returned to the hermitage, his 
son came not forward as usual to greet him ; nor did 
he bring him water for his feet, nor offer him the 



Chap. II. 



They en- 
courage the • 
youth to seek 
for their 
" her- 
mitage." 



The return 
of Vibhan- 
daka. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. II. 



R ishyas- 
7-inga tells 
his 
■"dream." 



eight things of the Arghya, as the laws of etiquette 
require. 

" How now ?" asked the' Hermit ; " of what are you 
thinking, Rishyasringa ? and why do you sit there, with 
clasped hands and vaguely wistful eyes. A youth 
trained as you have been to a solitary life, guarded 
from the storms of passion and the deceits of love, can 
have no amorous dreams to poison and befool his 
mind ! Since such follies are unknown to you, what 
means this languor, so unbefitting the demeanour of a 
virtuous ascetic?" 

Rishyasringa answered : " I had a dream. I thought 
that, being in the wood, I met a company of young 
anchorites; they were surely saints of most dis- 
tinguished virtue, for their countenances were radiant 
as the sun, and their forms seemed of more than 
mortal beauty. They entered this cavern, and it was 
filled with light ; at their touch my pulses started, and 
for pain I could have wept, but when I looked into 
their large, soft eyes, it became delight ; and though 
I suffered still, it was from excess of joy ! At length 
they rose, and waving their hands to me, they said, 
one by one, ' Farewell, Rishyasringa,' and faded from 
my sight. Then. all grew dark." 

As he listened to the youth's story, Vibhandaka's lip 
curled scornfully. He said to himself: " The fumes of 
sensual desire have bewildered the boy's brain ! So 
it is ; without temptation man becomes impure, and 
loses his innocence in the midst of ignorances ! " 

" Listen," he said, harshly : " there is what looks 
like beauty, and what is disease ; what seems a promise, 



RISHYASRINGA SEEKS THE MAIDENS. 



27 



and what means despair • what wears the garb of sun- 
light, and is as foul as sin. See you have no more 
such dreams, Rishyasringa ! Your saintly anchorites 
were demons beyond a doubt ! " 

And with that, the surly Vibhandaka stretched him 
on his couch of leaves, and fell asleep. 
Rishyasringa could not sleep. 
" They certainly were not demons," he said. 
Early on the morrow, as soon as Vibhandaka had 
left the hermitage, the young recluse started forth in 
search of the graceful strangers. 

The kokila, the most amorous of birds, was singing 
in the acacia-tree, but he could not find them ; — the 
flowers were glistening with dew ; the air was full of 
perfumes ; the trees softened the garish sunlight ; in 
the arms of the Casserina fir a little breeze was sighing, 
—and yet, he could not find them ! 
He flung himself down upon the grass. 
" They are gone, " he said, " and for me remains 
nothing but to die." 

But it was not to be so. He heard a rustling amid 
the bushes, and all around him the air quivered mirth- 
fully; the roses laughed, until their blooming petals 
floated in tinted showers to the earth ; the airy grass 
trembled with glee ; the saucy little beetles, peeping out 
from it with their jewelled eyes, chuckled with delight ; 
and from behind the trees, and from the centre of the 
shrubs, and as it were from the very bosom of the 
ground, sprang the blooming anchorites, smiling on 
him, and singing. 

" Did you think that we had left you, Rishyasringa ? " 



Chap, II. 

The father 
says he has 
been visited 
by demons. 



The youth 
goes forth to 
seek, and at 
lengtJi dis- 
covers the 
maidens. 



2S 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. IT. 



They lead 
him to tJieir 
vessel: then 
the rain be- 
gins to fall. 



And the echoes repeated, " Had left you, Rishyas- 
ringa. " 

" Yes," he replied. And then the youthful maidens, 
and Rishyasringa, and the echoes laughed together 
for joy. 

"Come," they said, "let us show you our hermit- 
age ! " and so, some holding his hands, and some 
singing and dancing around him, they led him to the 
vessel which was like a blooming island. 

As he stepped on board, far away, over the city of 
the Angas, a fleecy cloud spread its swan-like wings, 
and the generous rain began to fall and refresh the 
thirsty land ! 

* * * * * 

When Vibhandaka returned, he found the hermitage 
deserted. 

" Rishyasringa ! " he cried; but there was no response. 
Then seizing his hermit's staff, he rushed back into 
the wood, shouting, "Rishyasringa! Rishyasringa!" 
The frightened echoes gave back his shout, pleading : 
" You see we are as zealous in the matter as yourself! " 
All living things kept out of the infuriated Hermit's path 
as he strode along, tearing up the shade with his 
piercing eyes, and questioning the distance. 

At length, having reached the outskirts of the forest, 
he met one, driving a herd of cows speckled with 
different colours, and of the most unusual beauty. 

" Whose are these wondrous cows ? " he asked, in 
spite of his wrath, transported with admiration. 

" Rishyasringa's," replied the herdsman. 

At that Vibhandaka abated his pace, and walked 



VIBHANDAKA SUBMITS TO DESTINY. 



29 



on wondering. Presently he met a troop of lordly- 
elephants, whose ornaments were of gold and ivory. 

" Whose are these lordly elephants ? " he asked, 
amazed. 

" Rishyasringa's," answered he in whose charge 
they were. 

Utterly bewildered, the recluse stood there, in the 
road, his hand to his head. After a while, one passed 
him driving a chariot, all inlaid with gems, and drawn 
by four horses swift as the wind, and haughty as the 
waves of ocean. 

" And whose is this noble chariot ? " he asked. 

" Rishyasringa's," was the answer. " To-day this 
youth weds the lovely Kanta, the daughter of the King 
Lomapada. By the counsels of a saintly Brahman 
this illustrious monarch has rescued Rishyasringa from 
the hands of his savage father, the enemy of all living 
creatures ! " and with that the charioteer drove on, 
and left the Hermit standing there alone. 

But having seen the wondrous cows, and lordly 
elephants, and noble chariot, Vibhandaka reflected 
that this was probably the work of Destiny. So he 
returned tranquilly to his hermitage. 



Chap. II. 



At sight of 
the new 
possessions 
of his son, 
Vibhan- 
daka's 
wrath is 
appeased. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE DESCENT OF THE GANGA. 



hap. III. 

Himalaya, 
king of all 
mountains 



Himalaya, the king among mountains, and the dark 
and lofty Vindhya, stand scowling one on the other, 
and exchanging looks of defiance. 

"lam the king among mountains ! " cries sternly 
the proud Himalaya. " The clouds have robed me in 
purple, and crowned my forehead with snowflakes ! I 
tower up into heaven, rending the azure veil which 
conceals the home of the immortals. The secrets of 
the three worlds are known to me; I overlook the 
whole earth, and from the sighing ocean the dark- 
winged vapours ascend and whisper to me their 
griefs ; I am in the confidence of the stars, and know 
the story of their loves ; I know, too, why some of 
them fall out of heaven." 

The sullen Vindhya wraps his misty cloak around 
him : "I am weary of this lumbersome giant ! " he 
mutters. " He impedes my view, and robs me of the 
sunlight ; his ill-bred boastings offend me." Under 
his breath he adds, "But for this shapeless monster I 
had been king amongst mountains !" 



THE BEAUTIFUL GANG A. 



The ancient Himalaya is the wealthiest of monarchs : 
he has treasures of gold and of silver ; caverns whose 
roofs are of diamonds, and whose floors are studded 
with emeralds. He has, too, a daughter, who is a star 
in the heaven of beauty. 

Brighter than sapphire or diamond that flashes and 
gleams in the sunlight ; wilder than youthful zephyrs 
born in the season of rain, thrilled with the songs of 
the kokila, and laden with the perfume of flowers ; 
more dreamy than the pallid lotus, who shrinks from 
the sun's caresses, but at night flings back her petals, 
that the pale and amorous Soma l may feast on her 
unveiled beauty; sweeter and lovelier far was the 
laughing and tremulous Ganga, the peerless daughter 
of Mena, the child of the old Himalaya ! 



Up in heaven the stars have grown restless; the 
earth has decked her in flowers; the clouds delay 
their ascent ; they brood near, they break into weeping. 
They weep, and die of their love for the beauteous 
Ganga ! 

The Sun himself grows pale. 

" I am not cruel, O Ganga! " murmurs the love-sick 
Sun ; " my passion is ardent and wild as the love of 
the radiant Indra ; 2 but its fervour need not affright 
thee ! 

" Do not fear me, O youthful maiden ! O beloved, 
do not fear me ! Let my kiss stray amid thy tresses, 
1 Soma — the moon. * Indra — god of the firmament. 



Chap. III. 



The beauti- 
ful Ganga is 
child of the 
old Hima- 
laya. 



Ganga is 
beloved by 
all living. 



32 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. III. 



The im- 
mortals visit 
the_ old 
Himalaya. 



that wildly float into ripples ; it shall not scorch these 
wavelets; Ganga, it shall not burn thee ! 

" Let my beams just lie on thy bosom, thy bosom 
that swells and that flutters ! O child, they shall 
wander there gently, like a mother's hand which 
caresses. Beloved, they shall not harm thee ! " 



The young and dreamy Ganga flings her arms round 
the old Himalaya. 

" I would know what love is !" she whispers. " Find 
me a suitor, my father." 

The ancient monarch answers : " You must find one 
yourself, my child ; I am too old to be hunting for 
suitors ! " 



One day the great Himalaya was absorbed in 
weighty reflections. 

The fumes of his grave meditations mounted up to 
his brain, and wrapped him in a mantle of vapour. 

Having solved at length some problem of unusual 
abstruseness, the mists round him were rarefied ; 
then he perceived, standing near, three Strangers of 
majestic appearance. 



Their countenances were of an azure hue, like the 
early flower of the Nymphaea ; their eyes were large 
and clear, and their gaze never faltered nor drooped ] 
their heads were crowned with wreaths of blooming 



THE PRAYER OF THE IMMORTALS. 



33 



flowers ; and they stood upright, there in the midst 
of the air. 

The ancient Himalaya was a monarch of experience 
and wisdom : he knew that the eyes of men grow 
weak through the tears they have shed; that their 
feet are nailed to the ground ; that if they weave them 
garlands, the flowers hasten to wither. 

" These strangers are the deathless gods ! " he mut- 
tered. 



The noble and bland Himalaya flung at the feet of 
these visitors his diadem of glistening snowflakes. 

"What is your pleasure, O heroes?" he inquired 
with eager courtesy. " I have treasures of gold and 
of silver; caverns whose roofs are of diamonds, and 
whose floors are studded with emeralds : I have, too, 
a Daughter, who is accounted a star in the heaven of 
beauty." 

" Give us this peerless Daughter to wife," they an- 
swered. 

" So be it ! " replied the urbane Himalaya. 

Then the immortals laughed aloud in their glad- 
ness ; as for the ancient monarch, he resumed his 
weighty reflections. 

8. 

" O youthful and tremulous maiden, whose dreams 
are haunted by wonder, whose heart is fluttered by 
whispers, awake,— it is Love who awaits you ! 

"O graceful daughter of Mena, O nymph with the 

D 



Chap. III. 



The gods ask 
Gangd in 
marriage. 



34 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



long floating tresses, awake, — it is Love^who awaits you ! 
Leave, oh leave your couch mid the rushes, languid 
daughter of Mena ! Bind not your showers of hair ; 
come arrayed in its floating wavelets; stay not to 
shake from your fingers the spray of glistening waters ; 
pause not to lay on one side your garland of weeds 
and of lilies. Come, O child, O beloved ! forsake 
your couch mid the rushes. Fanciful, dripping, and 
bright, come ; it is Love who awaits you ! 

" Hearken, O child, O beloved ! The stars grew dim 
in our kingdom ; sun and moon were smothered by 
clouds ; the gandharvas 1 had no voice for the song ; 
the apsaras 2 had no heart for the dance ; the souls of 
the gods were oppressed. 

" Hearken, O child, O beloved ! we have come from 
heaven to seek you ; for heaven is not heaven with- 
out Love ! 

" Then awake, O child, O beloved ! Leave your 
couch mid the rushes, fanciful, dripping, and bright 
— come \ it is Love who awaits you." 

9- 

Thus sang the enamoured immortals in the ears of 
the languid Ganga. 

Then, her eyes still heavy with sleep, the dreamy 
and youthful maiden arose from her couch mid the 
rushes, and fanciful, dripping, and bright, came for- 
ward to meet the immortals. 

* * * * * 

1 Gandharua s— celestial musicians. 

2 Apsaras — celestial dancing girls. 



THE SACRED HORSE IS STOLEN. 



35 



10. 



Sahara's 
aswamedha. 



In this same wood of Vela, where the sullen Chap. hi. 
Vindhya and the arrogant Himalaya exchange looks 
of defiance, the devout monarch Sagara, the magnani- 
mous ancestor of Rama, celebrated, at the time of 
full moon, a great and solemn aswame'dha. 1 

Rishis and Brahmans and saintly anchorites, and 
all the noblest of those who murmur prayers under 
their breath, came from far and near to be present at 
this great sacrifice. 

But lo, when all was prepared— when the sacred 
wood was piled, and the torch that yearned to con- 
sume it flamed in the hands of the priest— a serpent, 
under the form of Ananta, 2 rose from the midst of, 
the ground, and seizing the sacred horse, the victim 
promised to Brahma, disappeared with it, swallowed j 
up by the yawning earth. 

Surprise fell on the monarch Sagara; as for the 
Rishis and Brahmans and saintly anchorites, they 
were filled with hot indignation. 



n. 

"O monarch of the powerful countenance," they 
said, " you do well to gaze thus aghast ! 

" Here is a story of shame that shall roll down the 
river of time, refusing to sink out of sight, uneffaced 
by the gathering years ! 

" Here is a pleasing jest for the winds to tell one 
another, whilst the trees of the forest listen, and their 
branches quiver with mirth ! 

1 Aswamedha— sacrifice. 2 Ananta— king of snakes. 

D 2 



The sacred 
horse stolen. 



36 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



The Saga- 
rides are 
charged to 
ftnd the 
/■ 



" Here is a tale for the parrot and shrieking macaw 
to repeat ; to scream at the top of their voices, and 
convulse all nature with laughter! 

" Far and near the people shall say : ' Show us this 
precious Sagara, this arrogant ruler of men, who was 
put to scorn by a serpent ! Show us this valiant 
king, whose victim promised to Brahma was stolen 
from under his eyes ! " 

Then the brow of the monarch grew red as the 
bolts of the flaming Indra. 

" What would you have me do ? " asked this furious 
Tiger of Men. 1 

12. 

" There are sixty thousand heroes who call Sagara 
father. Summon my sons forthwith!" shouted this 
enraged ruler of men. 

Then these sixty thousand princes came in haste, 
and found their magnanimous parent lying with his 
face in the dust, howling and biting the dust like an 
elephant struck by the hunter. 

They joined hands round him, and reverently, 
performed a pradakshina. 2 Then they asked what 
had shaken the balance of his equable humour. 

" Slay me this ravisher of the horse ! " moaned 
forth the prostrate monarch. 

" We will ! " replied in one breath the sixty thousand 
heroes. At that the relieved Sagara rolled no more 
in the dust. 

1 Tiger of men — vide Note I. 
3 Pradakshina— vide Note 2. 



THE HEROES SEARCH FOR THE THIEF. 



37 



13- 

"Nor Rakshasa, 1 nor Naga," 2 said this sapient 
ruler of men, " has thus deranged my sacrifice ; they 
had not dared to face this company of holy men ! 
Some divine being it is who has perpetrated this 
baseness. Search him out, though the gloomy Tartarus 
lend him its sightless blackness; search him out, though 
the azure gates roll back to afford him a refuge. 

i " My sons, fear not his rank ; this deed annuls his 
divinity. Gods and men alike must obey the dictates 
of justice ; gods and men alike, if they violate the 
immutable law, have against them the universe and 
the uncreated Lord of existence ! " 
14. 

The sixty thousand sons of Sagara explored the land 
far and wide ; with lances, pick-axes, and clubs they 
threw up the earth and examined it, but nowhere 
could these indefatigable heroes discover a trace of 
their enemy. 

But broken by axes and spades, hewed and hacked 
and wofully injured, her innocent bosom gashed and 
mangled, the harmless goddess Prithivi mutely ap- 
pealed to Heaven. A dolorous cry mounted up from 
serpents and lizards and beetles, and myriads of 
living creatures whom the furious zeal of the heroes 
had wounded and maimed. 

/ I5 ' 

Then all the. living creatures whom the gentle 
Prithivi shelter*, and the gandharvas, who are tender 

1 Rakshasas— demons. 2 Nagds _ snake ds# 



Chap. III. 



They dig up 
the earth. 



The crea- 
tures thereby 
injured com- 
plain to 
Brahm. 



3S 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



to all things, and the lower gods, whose hearts are 
open to pity, ran to the supreme Giver of life, their 
eyes overflowing with tears. 

"Eternal Brahm," they sobbed, "deign to help 
us ! Thou hast given us being ; it is thy Essence 
which quickens our blood! Art thou deaf to the 
voice of thy children, who even now lie in thy Bosom? 
Sea ! art thou cold to thy rivers flowing out from 
thine innermost heart? O Heaven ! art thou dead to 
thy stars which shine and glisten in thee? O infi- 
nite Existence, dost thou scorn thy Breath which has 
made us? 

" These pitiless sons of Sagara are rending the breast 
of the earth ; one by one we are smitten and perish ; 
one by one these ruthless avengers rob us of that thou 
hast given ! " 

16. 

Then the eternal Fount of Existence answered 
them, gravely smiling : 

" From the vast ocean of life ascend the formless 
vapours ; in the breast of the air they meet, they 
embrace and unite into clouds. 

"Heavily brood they in space, then break into 
glistening raindrops, that' rush down to the earth to 
perform there their destined journey. 

"But either in streamlet or river, soon, or after long 
windings, all return to the ocean when their allotted 
task is accomplished. 

"Ponder this well, and perceive that all works 
together for harmony. 



BRAHM'S ANSWER. 



39 



" These noisy sons of Sagara are but the servants of 
Destiny. Vasudeva Kapila 1 has taken this horse — 
he whose eyes see the fruit of events, who beholds the 
whole workings of time, who effects, too, the welfare 
of all. 

" Man follows the bent of his will ; subdues, or is 
led, by his passions ; respects life, or ruthlessly snaps 
it ; bows to the law of his conscience, or wilfully lives 
in rebellion. 

" He says to himself, < I am free ! ' He says true. 
He is free to grow noble ; he is free, too, to work his 
undoing. But let him act as he will, he is a tool in 
the great hand of Destiny, used to perfect the fabric 
of life ! 

" There are sons of the night, and their portion is 
blackness ; there are sons of the dawn, and the day- 
light is theirs: both are workers for Destiny; from 
the labour of both issues harmony ! 

" Out of evil comes good, but not for the doer 
of evil ; he has earned for himself sorrow : that he 
did freely I He has worked for the good of the 
universe: that he did blindly, in obedience to the 
hidden pleasure of Destiny. 

"Out of evil comes good: these Sagarides who 
destroy life shall have their own lives taken from 
them ; but from this act of theirs shall follow a bless- 
ing : the bountiful, fecund, young Ganga shall bring 
her fresh bubbling waters to rejoice the hearts of all 
creatures ! " 

1 Vasudeva Kapila— other name for Vishnu. 



Chap. III. 



Brahm re- 
plies that all 
events tend 
to the good of 
the universe. 



40 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



The Jieroes' 
search bei7ig 
fruitless, 
Sagara bids 
them seek 
the thief in 
Tartarus. 



17- 

From the august Presence the suppliants withdrew 
very sadly. 

" We are not Vasudeva Kapila," they murmured ; 
" we see not the fruit of events ; we behold not the 
whole workings of time — we, who must die ! 

" Since we must die, what to us is the descent of 
the Ganga ? " 

They were reptiles and small creeping creatures 
who spoke thus. 



Meanwhile the sons of Sagara returned to their 
illustrious parent. They joined hands round this 
sapient ruler of men, and affectionately performed a 
pradakshina. 

" O Elephant among Kings ! " they said, "we have 
dug up the whole face of the earth, but nowhere have 
we discovered a trace of this ravisher of the horse. 

" What would you have us do next ? Speak, O 
Lion of Men, we burn to accomplish your pleasure ! " 

19. 

After a few moments' reflection the monarch of the 
powerful countenance replied : 

" The god who has troubled my sacrifice has fled 
to the infernal regions ; that is my firm conviction. 

" Follow him thither, O heroes ! and when you 
have slain the thief, capture the sacred horse. With 
my grandson, the valiant Ansumat, I will await you 



THE ELEPHANTS WHO UPHOLD THE EARTH. 



41 



here." And so the Sagarides once more commenced 
their diggings. 

20. 

Throwing up the earth on the northern coast, they 
presently discovered the lordly elephant, Virupak- 
sha ; who, together with his three brethren, sustains 
the globe, with its forests and mountains, its cities 
and villages. 

If, in momentary weariness, the monstrous elephant 
stir his head, then the world shakes, with its forests 
and mountains, its cities and villages. 

21. 

O Virupaksha, what a burthen is thine ! The 
forest with its lofty trees and monstrous animals? 
The mountain with its mines and quarries ? Truly 
thou art heavily laden ! 

But the cities and villages, and all the sin and 
the sorrow, and the heavy hearts of men and women 
which they contain ? O Virupaksha, over-burthened 
Virupaksha, what marvel if at times thy head droop 
with fatigue ? 

22. 

The courteous princes performed a pradakshina 
round the lordly elephant, and began to dig towards 
the south. Soon they discovered another colossal 
elephant, the sublime Mahapadma ; they greatly 
admired the large animal, and danced round him a 
pradakshina. 

Towards the west they found a third elephant; the 



Chap. III. 



They en- 
cotmter the 
elephants 
who support 
the world. 



42 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



Having 
reached 
Tartartis, 
they see the 
horse, and 
Vishnu 
beside it. 



The heroes 
are reduced 
to ashes by 
the gaze of 
Vishnu. 



robust Saumanas. They saluted him with a pradak- 
shina, and asked him how he did. 

They then arrived at the side of the Himalaya, and 
saw another elephant, the magnanimous Himapan- 
dura. They reverently touched this king of animals, 
and gave to him, as to the others, the honour of a 
pradakshina. 1 

23- 

Having thus torn up the whole earth, these dauntless 
heroes perceived the sacred horse, stolen that day of 
full moon in the peaceful wood of Vela, grazing here 
at liberty. 

By the side of the unconscious quadruped was 
Vasudeva Kapila. 

Then the sixty thousand Sagarides shouted with one 
voice : " Halt, thou ravisher of the horse ! Knowest 
thou why we have thus rent the earth ? It is that we 
may have the joy of looking on thee !" 

At that Vasudeva Kapila turned, and looked at 
these heroes. 

24. 

Cold and still grew their hearts, that once had 
bounded so gladly ; thus the antelope lies, struck by 
the hunter's arrow. 

Vague and dark stared their eyes, whose vision had 
been as the eagle's ; thus looks the paling moon when 
Rahu 2 devours her radiance. 

As the icicle melts at the dawn ; as the lotus dies 
in the drought ; as the grass of the prairie shrinks, 

1 Literally translated. 2 Rahu— vide Note 3. 



THE FATE OF THE SAGARIDES. 



43 



scorched by the hot breath of Indra, so these men of 
vigour and youth paled 'neath the fixed gaze of 
Vishnu ; paled, and sickened, and died, and fell like 
reeds in the tempest ! Paled, and sickened, and died, 
and lay at the feet of the god, a heap of formless 
cinders ; the toy of the mocking winds ! 

25- 

The illustrious ruler of men, the anxious monarch 
Sagara, called to him the youthful Ansumat, whose 
limbs were like young fir-trees. 

" Thy uncles are long in coming," he said to the 
youthful warrior ; " my son, go in search of thy uncles, 
and bid them return here swiftly. My heart misgives 
me, Ansumat ; bid them return very swiftly." 

And so the valiant young warrior went forth to seek 
for his uncles. 

26. 

The lordly Viriipaksha, the magnanimous Maha- 
padma, the robust Saumanas, the sublime Hima- 
pandura, all greeted the nephew of sixty thousand 
uncles, and gave him news of his relatives. 

But when the indefatigable youth reached the 
infernal regions, and beheld the state of his uncles, 
he fell on his face on the ground, uttering the most 
dolorous shrieks. 

27. 
Having bemoaned with tears and loud wailings the 
fate of these illustrious Sagarides, Ansumat looked 
round him anxiously for water, with which to lave the 



Chap. III. 



Sagara 
sends 

Ansumat to 
look for his 
uncles. 



He finds 
their re- 
mains, and 
bemoans 
theirfate. 



44 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



Seeking 
•water to 
give them 
funeral 
honours, he 
is called by 
Garuda. 



The king of 
birds tells 
him the ashes 
of the Saga- 
rides shall 
not be 

cleansed till 
the Ganga 
comes to 
earth. 



cinders of these unfortunate heroes; for unless 
cleansed by lustrous waters, the dead are not ad- 
mitted into Paradise, the defilement of earthly pas- 
sions rendering them unfit for the celestial abode. 
28. 

As he sought far and near for some purifying stream 
or fountain, the youthful hero heard himself called by 
his name. 

Looking round, Ansumat perceived, perched on 
the topmost bough of an acacia-tree, Garuda, the 
king of all birds. 

The winged monarch sat there, swaying himself to 
and fro, and loudly calling " Ansumat ! " 

The grandson of Sagara was glad to see him, for 
this illustrious fowl was the maternal uncle of these 
sixty thousand heroes who had become ashes. 

29. 

"Do not afflict yourself, most illustrious of men ! " 
said this magnanimous bird. " These Sagarides shall 
be glorified in the three worlds. Though I am their 
maternal uncle, I do not deplore their fate. 

" Meanwhile capture the sacred horse, and lead it 
back to Sagara; and give him this message from me : 
' Thy sons cannot enter Paradise till purified by the 
ceremony of lustrous waters ; but this shall not take 
place until the Ganga shall quit the celestial regions, 
and bring her sparkling wavelets to rejoice the inha- 
bitants of the world.' " 

Then Ansumat returned to Sagara, and told him 
word for word all that the sapient fowl had said. 



THE PENANCE OF BHAGIRATHA. 



45 



30. 

For the space of one thousand years the afflicted 
monarch Sagara strove vainly to find some means of 
inducing the beautiful Ganga to abandon the home of 
the gods. 

And after his death, Ansumat sought, by penances 
and fastings, to gain the favour of Heaven, and the 
pity of the gentle Ganga. 

■ And after Ansumat, Dilipa, son to the nephew of 
sixty thousand uncles, laboured vainly to discover a 
plan to purify these unhappy Sagarides. 

At length Bhagiratha, the magnanimous son of 
Dilipa, abandoning his throne and the city, embraced 
the career of an anchorite on the wild slopes of the 
old Himalaya. 

Clad in a garment of skins, his head bared to 
the humours of heaven ; keeping his passions in 
check; subsisting only on roots, alike tortured by 
heat and by cold, did the saintly anchorite impor- 
tune the aid of the gods by the spectacle of his self- 
imposed sufferings. 

At the close of one thousand years Brahma, the 
merciful guardian of men, appeared to him. 

" Cease these inhuman macerations ! " said the god. 
" What is your request. Bhagiratha ? Would you rise 
to the caste of a Rishi, or even that of a Brahman ? 
Do you desire a son ? Tell me what is your wish, O 
Bull among saintly anchorites ! " 

3 2 - 
Then the emaciated anchorite answered : 



Chap. III. 



The pen- 
ances gone 
through io 
earn the 
descent of 
the Ganga. 



Brahma 
asks Bhagi- 
ratha what 
is his re- 
quest. 



4 6 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. III. 



Having 
heard " the 
descent of the 
Ganga" he 
advises the 
ascetic to 
appeal to 
Siva. 



After a hun- 
dred years 
Siva pro- 
mises his aid. 



" To be called ' Rishi ' or ' Brahman ' is accounted 
an honour among men ; but I had much honour, 
Brahma, and I abandoned it ! 

" To hear a child's voice lisp the word ' father ' is 
unquestionably the crown of tenderness and pride ; 
but I, Brahma, have dwelt in this wilderness a thou- 
sand years, and have no love to be crowned by this 
ineffable gift ! Not to obtain an honourable title have 
I left my country and my throne ; not to gain lineage 
have I turned my back on family and friends." 

" For what then ? " asked Brahma. 

" That these sixty thousand heroes might at length 
enter upon their bliss," replied this worthy ancestor of 
Rama. " That the Ganga might bring her purifying 
waters here below ! " 

" Your request is a hard one," answered Brahma ; 
" for if the Ganga were to fall on the earth, her tur- 
bulent waters would overwhelm the world ! Yet such 
a penitence as yours should not prove unavailing. 
Implore the aid of Siva : the lord of all creatures, in 
whose sight life is precious, may perchance devise a 
means of performing this difficult task." 

With that Brahma returned to heaven. 

33- 

For another hundred years the saintly Bhaglratha 
continued his self-macerations. 

At the close of that time, Mahadeva 1 appeared to 
this king of ascetics, and said : 

" I am content, O most virtuous of men ! I will 

1 Mahadeva — another name for Siva. 



SIVA APPEALS TO THE GANGA. 



47 



sustain this river of purifying waters. I will, too, 
induce this Bride of the immortals to quit her celestial 
home." 

34- 

Then the glorious and generous immortal climbed 
the brow of the old Himalaya, and called to the 
fanciful Ganga, the queen amongst beautiful rivers : 

" O child of the old Himalaya, whom the arms of 
Prithivi once cradled, this breast where then thou 

didst slumber is parched with a feverish thirst, 

therefore, descend ! 

" The little flowers are withered ; the leaves of the 
lotus have shrunk ; the troops of gazelles are weary, 
they find no stream to refresh them; the storks and 
herons are dying; the swans have abandoned the 
country ; the men are feeble and sickly ; the dead lie 
imprisoned in Tartarus, uncleansed by lustrous waters, 
— therefore, descend ! 

"O Ganga, Bride of the heavens! thy home is 
full of delight ; the air is heavy with perfumes ; the 
mirthful apsaras flit joyously hither and thither; the 
strains of the dreamy gandharvas thrill every '/ear 
with rapture. The light here is golden, yet soft; the 
shade here is languid, yet warm ; and the gods'who 
dwell here are happy ! 

" O Ganga, daughter of Mena, who sprang from 
the breast of Prithivi ! the earth is the dwelling of 
sorrow ; the air is laden with sighs ; in flight from 
want or from danger," all creatures are restless 
and wandering; the sound of weeping is frequent; 



Chap. III. 



Siva calls 
to Ganga. 



48 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. III. 



Rushing 
from heaven 
the Ganga 
is received 
on the head 
of Siva. 



After a year 
the god lets 
down a tress 
of his hair, 
by -which 
she escapes 
to earth. 



the music of laughter is rare ; the light is scorching 
and ardent ; the shade is gloomy and chill ; and the 
men who dwell there are mournful; — therefore, de- 
scend ! " 

35- 

Then the large heart of the Ganga started and 
throbbed in her bosom ; and, without pause or reflec- 
tion, the generous queen of all rivers rushed from the 
home of the gods in a burst of impetuous passion, 
singing, " I come, O beloved ! Doubly beloved for 
thy sorrow ! " 

Stepping forward, the generous Siva, in whose sight 
life is precious, received the great rush of waters, and 
upheld on his forehead the impulsive daughter of 
Mena, that in her generous fervour she might not 
overwhelm the earth. 

36. 

Here, on the forehead of Siva, troublous, immense, 
rapid, for the space of one year the impatient Ganga 
remained, between earth and heaven. 

Then the cautious Mahadeva let down one tress 
of his hair; and by this channel the impassioned 
daughter of Mena rushed down to the arms of 
Prithivi ! 

37- 
The gods, the Rishis and Brahmans, the Asuras, 
the Siddhas and Nagas, and all the hosts of earth and 
of heaven, came to witness this marvellous sight— the 
joyous descent of the Ganga ! 



THE DESCENT OE THE GANGA. 



49 



The spray of glistening foam leapt up to the azure Chap - in, 
vault, as sprang from the head of Siva this child of I 
the old Himalaya, singing: "I come, O beloved! 
Doubly beloved for thy sorrow!" 

The air was filled with flashes, and the waves 
shouted and roared ; in their joy they bounded and 
leapt, they rushed the one at the other, they dashed 
themselves into fragments, and fell like diamonds and 
fire-flies ! The dolphins and reptiles and fishes, and 
all that live in the waters, were tossed merrily hither 
and thither by the laughing and frolicsome River. 

38. 

The saintly King Bhaglratha, in his chariot of gold 
and ivory, put himself at the head of the Ganga, to 
direct and guide her footsteps. 

Singing and dancing, and laughing, and scattering 
jewels on all sides, the obedient Ganga followed, kiss- 
ing the trace of his chariot, and babbling words of 
endearment. 

As the smiling River passed, the flowers unfolded 
their petals, the storks and herons revived, and the 
swans, like fluttering clouds, came back to embellish 
the land. 

Then those whom a curse had smitten, at the touch 
of these glistening waters were freed from the male- 
diction, and restored to virtue and fame. 

39> 
Bhaglratha directing his steps to the sea, the docile 
Ganga followed. From thence he led her into the 



As the 
Ganga 
passes, the 
land revives, 
and men are 
purified. 



5° 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. III. 

Bhagtratha 
leads the 
river to 
Tartarus, 
and laves 
the aslies of 
the Saga- 
rides. 



Brahma 
blesses tlie 
hero, and 
calls Ganga 
after him, 
Bhagirathi. 



bowels of the earth, into the gloomy regions of 
Tartarus. 

There, having performed the ceremony of lustrous 
waters in honour of his sixty thousand ancestors, he 
beheld the illustrious Sagarides, clothed in ethereal 
purity, ascend with rapturous joy to the home of the 
deathless gods. 

40. 

Brahma, having seen with approval this devout and 
magnanimous hero thus washing all these ancestors^ 
came himself to visit the monarch, and spoke to him, 
gravely smiling : 

" So long, O saintly Bhagiratha, as the sun and the 
wind shall continue, the hearts of all living creatures 
shall cherish and honour thy name. 

" So long as the eternal sea shall kiss the gentle 
Prithivi, so long in the restful kingdom shall the 
Sagarides bless thee gratefully. 

" This queenly bride of the gods now kisses thy 
feet with devotion, is babbling to thee her love, the 
docile love of a daughter ; henceforth men shall call 
her Bhagirathi; for she prays thee to call her thy 
daughter ! 

" And now, O Lion of Men ! by the constant view 
of these waters, cleanse thy soul from all stain, and 
clothe it in limpid purity ! 

" Farewell 1 I return to Paradise ! " 

1 Literally translated. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE PENANCE OF VISVAMITRA. 



Visvdmitra 
loigsfor the 
excitement 
of war. 



Visvamitra was truly said to be an elephant among* C h A , iv 
kings ! He was of lordly stature, of an imperious 
and hasty temper, and of unexceptionable lineage 
having descended directly from Brahma himself! 
These kingly qualities naturally gained him celebrity 
m the three worlds, and secured the tranquillity of 
his reign and the happiness of his people. 

At length, however, he wearied of the blessing of 
peace, and felt that for the maintenance of his health 
and spirits something less insipid than this unbroken 
tranquillity was absolutely necessary. And, on the 
strength of this, let us not conclude that he was of a 
specially restless and intemperate disposition. We 
read, m the translation of Monsieur Fauche : " Or 
Visvamitra gouverna ce globe en roi qui semblait une 
incarnation de la justice, plusieurs myriades d'annhs » 
To put it at its meanest figure, let us say one myriad 
instead of several ;— after ten thousand years, is it 
surprising if he required a thorough change? 

Now, to a king desirous of the large excitement of 
war, two things are primarily necessary : an army 



E 2 



52 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. IV. 



A t the head 
of a large 
army he 
marches 
forth to seek 
adz>ent7cres. 



They reach 
the hermit- 
age of Va- 
sishiha. 



to fight for him, and an enemy to be fought with. 
Generally speaking, the latter is more readily found 
than the former. But in this instance that was not 
the case. In these extensive domains it was easy to 
gather together a formidable army, but Visvamitra 
was so prosperous a man that every one regarded 
him with the most enthusiastic friendship. 

No enemy presenting himself, Visvamitra put him- 
self at the head of his troops and marched forth in 
search of one. 

Over hill and dale, through the heart of sombrous 
forests and the narrow streets of crowded cities, 
marched the innumerable host, always on the look- 
out for perilous adventures and dangerous exploits, 
that might render the monarch's name illustrious in 
the. three worlds. None such, however, came in their 
way. As a rule, if you want to avoid adventures, go 
forth in search of them; destiny likes to attack people 
when they are off their guard, and prefers an un- 
armed victim. 

After a time the king and his army came to the 
hermitage of the eminent saint, Yasishtha. The tall 
trees kept guard around it; kingly trees, crowned 
with golden blossoms. They extended their graceful 
leafy fingers over the hermitage, as who would 
say : 

" This dwelling is under our special patronage." 

They guarded it carefully from the winds of heaven, 
and from their spreading hands fell— shade. 

Also, it was the most charming spot in the world . 
Nay, the Siddhas and Charanas preferred it even 



THE HOSPITALITY OF VASISHTHA, 



S3 



to heaven, and loved to linger within its hallowed 
precincts. The holy anchorites flocked to it from far 
and near to profit by the words of the sage Vasishtha, 
and to vaunt the unusual gifts of his fascinating cow, 
the immaculate Sabala. 

The hermit greeted Visvamitra most courteously, 
and invited him to be seated on the sacred grass, 
Kusa — than which, to the pious and devout, is no 
more honourable throne ; then he presented him with 
sweet roots and berries, and water to wash his feet, 
and neglected not to offer him the eight things of the 
Arghya. Having thus complied with the ordinances 
of etiquette, he proceeded to make polite inquiries as 
to the monarch's health and well-being. 

Visvamitra, in his turn, expressed his delight at 
thus conversing with the distinguished Brahman, and 
asked whether his sacred fires, his groves, and his 
disciples gave him entire satisfaction. 

Now, after this interchange of compliments and 
friendly solicitude, the monarch and the saint were 
mutually delighted with each other. 

"Stay with me a while, O Tiger of Men!" said 
the holy Vasishtha. " I would prepare a feast for your- 
self and your army that may be worthy of your 
reverences." 

" Nay," replied the considerate monarch, " I know 
that these sweet roots and berries are the sole fare of 
the holy men of your profession, and truly they have 
an excellent flavour. The sight of your magnani- 
mous countenance is also a feast for my eyes, and 
the sage words which fall from your lips a delight to 



Chap. IV. 



The hermit 
invites the 
king and his 
army to a 
feast. 



54 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 



Vasishtha 
requests his 
miracu- 
lously gifted 
cow to 
furnish the 
repast. 



my soul ! You have already entertained me muni- 
ficently, O Bull among Anchorites. I am more than 
satisfied." 

But the Brahman continued to press him to remain, 
so that at length, not to appear discourteous, the 
amiable Visvamitra consented to accept his hospi- 
tality. At the same time, he had some misgivings as 
to the nature of the festival of which he had promised 
to partake. 

"No doubt this excellent anchorite will be at 
infinite pains to collect many varieties of roots and 
berries," he thought ; " in these wilds he will not be 
able to procure other comestibles. My soldiers and 
myself are not accustomed to so simple a diet; but 
we must put a good face on it and simulate a hearty 
appetite, that the worthy saint may not perceive how 
little we relish his fare." 

Accordingly, he strictly charged his followers to 
show no disinclination to the repast offered them, 
whatever it might chance to be. 

Meanwhile the most eminent of anchorites was 
conversing with the miraculous Cow. 

"My pretty Sabala," he said, "my docile, tractable, 
well-beloved friend ! Thou knowest how much we 
owe to the protection of princes ; they are invaluable 
as friends and irresistible as enemies. Besides, it is 
a duty to recollect their divine right. This Visvamitra 
and his army are both hungry and thirsty ; shall it be 
said that they left this hermitage unrefreshed? O 
inestimable Quadruped ! if thou hast any love for thy 
master's honour, supply forthwith a bounteous feast 



THE KING'S ENVY IS AROUSED. 



55 



for these illustrious guests! And let not only the 
quality of it be excellent, but the quantity super- 
abundant ; for, O Light of my Eyes ! the appetite of 
kings and of warriors is larger than that of ordinary 
mortals." 

Then Sabala rubbed her cold nose lovingly against 
her master's cheek, as a token that she would fulfil 
his behests. Vasishtha, proceeding to milk the mag- 
nanimous Quadruped, was speedily gratified by the 
sight of all manner of delicious viands; such as 
sugar-canes, honey, fried grains, mountains of boiled 
rice, succulent pastries, cakes, preserves, and sweet- 
meats of all sorts, &c; and by way of beverage, 
Maireya liquor, extracted from the flower of Maireya, 
the delicious essence of asava, and rivers of curdled 
milk. 

At the sight of this excellent cheer the hearts of 
the soldiers, whom the injunctions of Visvamitra had 
somewhat depressed, bounded for joy. They feasted 
and caroused to the full bent of their pleasure, and 
praised the generous Vasishtha and admired the 
marvellous gifts of his inestimable Cow. 

But Visvamitra grew pensive. His heart sickened 
with envy, and he had no appetite to enjoy food. 

" How comes it," he thought, " that this anchorite 
has here a more splendid feast than any served at 
my royal table ? Is not this nearly treasonable ? " 

Occupied by such reflections, the monarch gloomily 
declined Vasishtha's pressing invitations to partake of 
these delicacies. 

"Listen, holy anchorite," he said presently; "this 



Chap. IV. 



The bcmnty 
of Sabala, 
and the joy 
of the sol- 
diers. 



Visvami- 
tra' s 
jealousy. 



56 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 



The king 
•wants to buy 
Sabala. 



On Vasish- 
tha's re- 
fusal, he 
makes a 
larger offer, 
and warns 
the Brah- 
mafi not to 
refuse. 



Sabala is truly a Pearl amongst ruminant creatures, 
and kings have, as you know, a right to the jewels 
discovered in their realms. Nevertheless, in con- 
sideration of my friendship for your person, I will 
not press my claim in this instance. I will give 
you one hundred thousand cows in payment for this 
Sabala." 

" Not for one hundred million cows will I sell this 
magnanimous animal!" replied Vasishtha. "Sooner 
shall the sun put a price on his radiance, or the sage 
on his wisdom, than I consent to sell Sabala." 

At that Visvamitra's brow darkened. 

" Is it not somewhat strange," he asked, " that one 
who has adopted the life of a penitent, and who in the 
three worlds is renowned for his self-mortifications, 
should care to possess a beast thus willing to gratify 
his appetites? The knowledge of its unusual gifts 
must be a sore temptation to thee, saintly hermit ; I 
would remove this snare from thy path !" 

" It is not needful," replied the Brahman ; " temp- 
tation adds fresh lustre to the virtuous, and gives their 
fortitude wholesome exercise." 

At that the angry monarch sprang to his feet and 
began to pace the narrow hermitage to and fro. 

" I will give thee, thou contumacious troglodyte !" 
he cried, " fourteen thousand elephants with orna- 
ments of gold, eight hundred ivory chariots, each 
drawn by four horses with golden bells round their 
necks, and ten million cows speckled with different 
colours ! I would counsel thee to accept my generous 
offer, hermit ! It has ever been the practice of kings 



ATTEMPT TO CARRY OFF SAB ALA. 



57 



to take by force what they could not obtain by 
honourable barter." 

" Alas ! " replied the Brahman, somewhat terrified 
by the king's wrathful countenance, "this Sabala is 
all my life; it is she who provides me with the 
oblations for the gods, the offerings to the Manes, the 
clarified butter which feeds the sacred fire, and the 
grains to be scattered on the earth as a token of 
charity towards all creatures. Besides, she was given 
into my charge by Mahadeva, the lord of cattle. I 
cannot sell you this Pearl amongst ruminant creatures, 
O Visvamitra ! " 

Then, in a great passion, the king turned his back 
on the Brahman. 

"This cantankerous priest shall regret his obsti- 
nacy !" he cried. " Let my young warriors forthwith 
go in search of this delectable Milch Cow ! Hence- 
forth she shall minister to our royal wants, and supply 
luxuries to flatter our royal appetites !" 
His followers gladly obeyed him. 
" No doubt," they said one to the other, " when this 
magnanimous Quadruped is in our possession we shall 
have these sumptuous repasts daily." 

But when Sabala perceived that they were leading 
her away from the hermitage, she began to struggle 
and plunge, and to lash her tail wildly from side to 
side. 

"How have I offended this sublime Maharshi?" 
she exclaimed. " Have I not always taken delight in 
watching his divine gesticulations, and his ecstasies of 
spiritual fervour ? Have I ever failed to supply him 



Chap. IV. 



Vasishtha 
persisting, 
the king 
orders the 
soldiers to 
seize the 
miraculous 
Cow 



Sabala es- 
capes, and 
rushes back 
to her 
master. 



5S 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 



Vasishtha 
tells Sabala 
he dare not 
resist tlie 
king. 



with those material wants which his pious exercises 
prevented him from providing for himself? Have I 
ever murmured at his authority or questioned the 
truth of his sage discourses? Why, then, does this 
resplendent saint abandon his meek servitor, his 
beloved and docile companion?" 

Maddened by the thought, she broke from the 
hands of her captors; and bellowing furiously, and 
wildly tossing her head, rushed through the ranks of the 
army. On all sides the soldiers gave way before her. 

"After all," they said, "it was scarcely justifiable 
to rob the hermit of this impetuous animal." 

Panting and exhausted, Sabala flung herself at the 
feet of Vasishtha, and looking up at him with her soft, 
liquid eyes, and lowing plaintively, asked : 

" Have you abandoned me, O master?" 

Then the virtuous Brahman and the affectionate 
Quadruped intermingled their tears. 

"I have not abandoned thee, Sabala," he cried, 
flinging his arm round her neck as though she had 
been a cherished sister. " Thou hast ever been a do- 
cile and faithful companion ; attentive to my lessons, 
and careful to furnish me with my modest require- 
ments. I have no fault to find with thee, thou Pearl 
amongst domesticated creatures. But this Visva- 
mitra is a Kshatriya, 1 and his army appears innume- 
rable ; what wouldst thou have me do ? I am alone 
in this forest, but for the few blameless anchorites who 
are all unlearned in the art of war. Farewell, then, 
light of my eyes ! I dare not resist this Visvamitra." 

1 Kshatriya — warriors' caste, next to the Brahmans in rank. 



VISVAMITRA' S ARMY AND SONS DESTROYED. 



59 



At that the devoted Cow rose from her master's feet 
and tossed her head proudly. 

" Have I supplied your wants for so many years, 
holy Brahman," she asked, " that you have ceased 
to appreciate my miraculous gifts? Why do you 
not milk me, O master? I can furnish you with 
an army twice as numerous as that of this truculent 
monarch." 

Accordingly, Vasishtha milked once more this in- 
estimable Cow ; and lo ! there rose up before him an 
innumerable host of warriors, turbulent, impulsive, and 
loyal, as was the devoted Sabala herself. The army 
of Visvamitra was soon overthrown by these vigorous 
heroes, whose ranks it was impossible to thin; for if a 
man fell, straightway another sprang, as it were, from 
the ground to take his place. After the combat, how- 
ever, when all the king's warriors had either perished 
or fled, this miraculous army disappeared as rapidly 
as it had sprung into existence. 

Now the illustrious Visvamitra had a hundred sons, 
gallant youths all of them, to whom the sight of their 
father's discomfiture was intolerable. 

"We will punish the insolence of this niggardly 
Hermit," they said, "and teach him and his ill-natured 
Cow to respect the Divine Right of Kings ! " 

So saying, they rushed with one accord on Vasish- 
tha. But the holy Brahman awaited them with per- 
fect composure, and when they were within a short 
distance blew at them with all his might. His sacred 
breath blasted them into ashes, and they crumbled into 
dust at his feet. 



Chap. IV. 



Sabala tells 
him to milk 
her, and she 
will provide 
him with an 
army. 



Visvami- 
tra \y army 

overthrown. 



His sons 
blown to 
pieces by 
Vasishtha. 



6o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. IV. 



Visva.7?iitra 
espotises the 
life of a 
penitent. 



Siva gives 
him the 
weapons of 
the gods. 



Then the exultant Cow tossed her head in the air 
and bellowed again with delight. 

But Visvamitra, having thus beheld his army de- 
stroyed and his sons blown into fragments, began to 
entertain doubts as to the omnipotence of kings. 
Like the bird whose wings are broken, or the sea that 
has no waves, or the sun in times of eclipse, he realized 
his weakness and was sad ! 

His indomitable resolution, however, was not 
shaken. Having given his empire into the hands of 
his only surviving son, he retired into the woods and 
sought, by his self-inflicted penances, to earn the 
favour of the deathless gods. After a time the 
resplendent Mahadeva appeared to him and bade him 
name his request. 

" Give me," said Visvamitra, "all the arms in use with 
the gods, the Danavas, the Yakshas, and Rakshasas." 

" So be it," replied the king of immortals, and re- 
turned to heaven. 

Then, full of pride and delight, the triumphant 
Visvamitra set out for the Brahman's hermitage. 

" It is the duty of kings," he said to himself, " to 
uphold their divine prerogative; at the same time 
leniency is a becoming virtue. I may find it neces- 
sary to extirpate this contumacious hermit, but to 
Sabala I will extend my gracious pardon, and this 
Pearl amongst ruminant creatures shall become my 
loyal servitor." 

Within a short distance of Vasishtha's dwelling the 
exultant monarch, unable to curb his impatience, 
shot off one of his miraculous arrows. As it sped 



VISVAMITRA ATTACKS VASISHTHA. 



61 



through the air, hissing like some venomous reptile, 
the trees of the forest shuddered with dread, the 
birds fled through the air shrieking, and the gazelles 
crouched low in the thicket. All the pious hermits and 
anchorites rushed to their huts and caverns, crying : 

" The immortals are at variance, and have chosen 
this forest for their battle !" 

Only Vasishtha, the Bull among solitaries, dis- 
played no uneasiness. He stood at the mouth of his 
cavern smiling with scornful composure. 

When he saw him thus unmoved, Visvamitra's 
wrath knew no bounds. 

" I will teach thee, miserable troglodyte," he shouted, 
"to respect the Divine Right of Kings !" 

And with that he hurled at him the Dart of Rudra, 
and the Dart of Varuna, and the Dart of Indra ; the 
Human Dart, the Soporific, the Smasher, the Stupefier, 
the Consumer, the Dart of Groans, the terrible Javelin 
of Dryness, and the invincible Dart of Thunder. He 
threw at him also the Dart of Chastisement, the Spear 
tipped with a Heron's Beak, two Lances of iron, and 
two Clubs ; and after these, the awful Arrow of Death ! 
After that he flung at him the Noose of Brahma and 
the Arrow of Siva : and two precious Thunderbolts, the 
Horse's Head and the Trident Dripping with Blood ! 

It is undeniable that here was a formidable series 
of arms ; but, amidst the shower of these appalling 
missiles, Vasishtha stood calmly holding his Brahman's 
stick over his head, and easily warding off the fatal 
weapons. Throughout his countenance wore the same 
contemptuous smile. 



Chap. IV. 



Vasishtha 
awaits the 
coming of 
Visvdmitra. 



The king 
flings his 
weapons one 
by one at the 
priest. 



Vasishtha 

remains 

unmoved. 



62 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 

Finally Vis- 
vamitra 
Jlings the 
Javelin of 
Brahma. 



Vasishtha 
devours it. 



Visvamitra 
on this de- 
clares there 
is no power 
desirable 
save that of 
the Brah- 
man. 



A less irascible opponent would have lost patience. 
Almost beside himself with rage, Visvamitra seized, 
at length, the fatal Javelin of Brahma, and hurled it at 
his imperturbable adversary. 

Then was there silence, for the awestruck winds 
stood still. The gods looked down from heaven with 
eager interest ; but all mortal creatures closed their 
eyes and sobbed forth : " Farewell, Vasishtha ! " 

But even so, the invincible Brahman was not con- 
quered. Opening his mouth wide, he received the 
flaming Bolt, and at one gulp swallowed it ! 

Then was a marvellous sight ! In the eyes of 
gods and men this iron-hearted Vasishtha devoured 
the Javelin of Brahma ! As he fed on the wrath of 
the god, his eyes grew crimson as blood; flames issued 
forth from his mouth ; and the Brahman's stick, which 
he still held upraised, glowed like a hot bar of fire ! 
Then all living creatures, appalled, fell on their knees 
to the dreadful anchorite. 

" Spare us ! save us ! " they cried ; " do not con- 
sume us with terror ! Compassionate the fear of the 
three worlds and digest this fire of Brahma !" 

At these words the resplendent Vasishtha deigned 
to reassure the trembling universe by resuming his 
wonted placidity. 

But Visvamitra exclaimed : 

" The force of the Kshatriyais a chimera; the only 
desirable strength is the miraculous power of the 
Brahman. I will not rest until I have acquired this 
glorious title." 

So saying, he flung on one side all implements of 



KING TRISANKITS SELF-LOVE. 



*3 



warfare, and on the rugged slopes of the Himalaya 
commenced a life of most rigorous self-mortification. 

After a thousand years Brahma appeared to the 
zealous ascetic, and said to him approvingly : 

"Thou hast entered the regions of sanctity, Visva- 
mitra. Yes, thy victorious penitence has earned for 
thee the title of Rishi among kings." 

With these words the august sovereign of gods 
returned to heaven. But the recluse hung his head 
in mournful disappointment. 

" Rishi among kings !" he exclaimed ; " that is not 
what I desire ; nor can my aspirations rest at having 
entered the regions of sanctity." 

And so this indomitable hero redoubled his aus- 
terities. 

Now there lived at this time a worthy king named 
Trisanku. He loved justice and truth, and governed 
his dominions wisely. There was, however, one fault 
which marred the perfection of his character; and 
that was an overweening love for his Body. It is true 
that it was an unusually comely Body, and doubtless 
it appeared even more so to him than to others. The 
thought that death would drive him forth from it, and 
that it would be reduced to ashes upon the funeral 
pile, was very grievous to him. Often would he quit 
the society of his courtiers, and even of his favourite 
queen, to caress and weep over this doomed Body in 
secret. 

"Alas!" he would moan, "these vigorous limbs 
that have carried me triumphantly through space ; 
these skilful hands that have given me mastery over 



Chap. IV. 

He mace- 
rates himself ■ 
during- a 
thousand 
years. 



Brahma 
gives him 
the title of 
Rishi, but, 
ill-satisfied, 
he continues 
his asceti- 



OfKing 
Trisankti 
and hisgreat 
love for his 
Body. 



6 4 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 



Trisa?tku 
reqtiests 
Vasishtha to 
offer a sacri- 
fice that he 
may never 
lose his body. 



Vasishtha 
refuses. 



material forms ; these eyes, which have let in on me 
golden light and shapely beauty, which have shown 
my soul the countenance of my beloved : these 
lips, which have kissed my beloved ; this breast she 
scorned not to make her pillow ; — to all these I must 
bid farewell ? Alas, my friendly, serviceable Body ! 
Have I not struggled with thee to thy present stature • 
and has not that drift of conscious fire men call soul 
wrought thee, with burning implements, into an ade- 
quate expression of itself? How shall my being 
withdraw itself from thee ? Abstract storm, or heat, 
or motion, from the forms which they impregnate, 
and what of them remains ? An amorphous phantom, 
driven forth into illimitable space, how shall my soul 
keep its identity ? Or, if incorporated in some other 
frame, how shall it fail to lose the individual character 
which it has won by dint of labour, grief, and love, in 
which, O faithful Body ! thou hast shared?" 

At length this mournful Trisanku, haunted by these 
reflections, sought the eminent saint Vasishtha, and 
exposed to him his sorrow. 

" I would, O holy Brahman," he said, " offer up, 
through thy agency, a solemn aswamedha to obtain 
from heaven permission to retain this cherished Body 
of mine in the future state." 

But when he had heard the monarch's desire, 
Vasishtha shook his head. 

" For so senseless a petition I will offer no aswame- 
dha," he said ; " be reasonable, King Trisanku, and 
rather rejoice that death will rid thee of thy Fleshly 
Incumbrance." 



TRISANKU MOCKED BY VASISHTHA S SONS. 



65 



But the melancholy Trisanku was so enamoured of 
his comely Body that he could not bring himself to 
look at the matter in this light. The Brahman having 
refused his request, he handed his empire over to his 
son, and wandered forth into the forest where dwelt 
the hundred sons of Vasishtha. To these eminent 
anchorites he confided his distress, and begged them 
to celebrate an aswamedha in his behalf. But they 
asked him : 

"Why do you come to us, O King Trisanku? Is 
not our revered father the spiritual director of your 
house ? Why do you abandon the root and seek aid 
from the branches?" 

Then the melancholy king answered : 
"I did, indeed, first seek the holy Gum, your 
father; but for this intent he refused to celebrate an 
aswamedha." 

Then the sons of Vasishtha were very wroth. 
"And why, thou stiff-necked, fatuous king," they 
cned, "didst thou not follow the counsels of the 
saintly Vasishtha ? We will offer no sacrifice for the 
preservation of that wretched Dust-Body of thine." 
At that Trisanku was incensed. 
" They were free to refuse my request," he thought 
"but they need not have insulted my unoffending 
Body." & 

" Farewell, then," he said haughtily; « I shall seek no 
more counsel from you nor Vasishtha. It is clear to 
me that you are unable to obtain my petition, and that 
this insolence is but a veil for your helplessness." 

And so he turned away from them. 



Chap. IV. 

Trisanku 
the sons of 
Vasishtha. 



Meeting- 
only with 
mockery, 
he speaks 
slightingly 
of their 
pozver. 



66 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. IV. 



Trisanku is 
transformed 
into a Chan- 
dala by the 
curse of the 
sons of 
Vasishtha. 



7'risa.nku 
tells his 
■wrongs to 
Visvamitra 



But the infuriated sons of Vasishtha rushed after 
him. 

"We will give thee a proof of our power," they 
shouted • " may this precious Body, thou thinkest 
so surpassingly beautiful, assume the degraded form of 
a Chandala!" 1 

As they spoke, the figure of the unlucky Trisanku 
was twisted and bent; his eyes became copper- 
coloured, and his teeth yellow and green ; his kingly 
raiment disappeared, and a miserable bear's skin alone 
covered his nakedness. 

In this deplorable plight the unhappy monarch 
dared not return to his palace. 

"Alas!" he thought, "my most obsequious cour- 
tiers would scoff at me, and my lovely queen turn 
away from me in disgust." 

So, having heard of the astounding self-macerations 
of Visvamitra, he sought out that elephant among 
men. When the royal ascetic saw the condition of 
Trisanku, he was filled with compassion, and ex- 
claimed, in affectionate accents : 

" Alas ! my kingly brother, who has dared to reduce 
the graceful frame which thou didst once regard with 
such justifiable pleasure to the pitiable form of a 
Chandala?" 

" The hundred sons of Vasishtha," answered Tri- 
sanku : and then he told his story. 

Now when Visvamitra had heard the facts of the 
case he was filled with indignation. 

" This overbearing Vasishtha and his sons, and his 
1 Chandala — the lowest caste. 



VISVAMITRA PROCLAIMS AN ASVAMEDHA. 



6 7 



ill-natured Cow, are quite insufferable," he said- "it 
is a duty to oneself and to the world to impress them 
with some respect for the Divine Right of Kings » 
By virtue of my unrivalled asceticism, I will obtain 
this boon for thee, O King Trisanku." 

Then Visvamitra proclaimed a great asvamedha 
and sent messengers far and near to summon to it 
all the anchorites, and hermits, and devout men who 
devoted their lives to prayer. 

But when the hundred sons of Vasishtha saw the 
messengers, they burst into derisive laughter. 

"Oh, the famous sacrifice that this will be '" thev 
cried; "offered by a Kshatriya, and in honour of a 
Chandala!" 

The anchorite Mahodaya, hearing their scornful 
speech, refused also to attend the asvamedha. 

The messengers of Visvamitra came and told him 
this. 

Then this Elephant among Kings, whom re- 
splendent penances had rendered terrible as the 
storm-god Indra, launched his potent curse against 
the sons of Vasishtha and the anchorite Mahodaya 

"May these scornful anchorites," he said "in 
whose sight living beings are objects only for derisive I 
mirth, be banished to the tenebrous kingdom off 
Yama ; there, as guardians of the Dead, let them learn 
due reverence for the Living. As for Mahodaya, in 
whose ears their scorn rang more pleasantly than the 
soft pleadings of pity, let him become a ferocious 
hunter, unmoved at the spectacle of suffering, and 
taking pleasure in destroying life !" 



Chap. IV. 



Visvamitra 
proclaims an 
asvamedha. 



He hurls his 
malediction 
at those who 
refuse to 
attend his 
sacrifice. 



F 2 



68 



Ckap.IV. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Tlie Gods 
disregard 

the sacri- 
fice: so Vis- 
vamitra 
seeks to do 
the miracle 
unaided. 



Trisanku 
ascends till 
his head 
strikes the 
sky, then 
Indra com- 
mands him 
to fall in 
mid-air; he 
is restrained 
by the com- 
ma.nd of 
Visvamitra. 



Now when the other anchorites heard of the doom 
of Mahodaya, and of the hundred sons of Vasishtha, 
they lost no time in obeying Visvamitra's summons. 

"This royal ascetic is soon put out of humour," 
they said ; " and his displeasure is truly redoubtable." 
However, when all was ready, and Visvamitra had 
celebrated the asvamedha, the deathless gods re- 
mained calmly in heaven, and paid not the smallest 
heed to his sacrifice. Then this Tiger amongst Men, 
burning with passionate fury, exclaimed : 

" Listen, noble Trisanku. By virtue of my severe 
mortifications, I myself will perform this deed. Mount 
up into heaven with the Body thou lovest. I, Visva- 
mitra, in the hearing of gods and men, command it !" 
Then, like a bubble of air through the water, Tri- 
sanku began to ascend, conquering the waves of 
space, and striding through the intangible ether, easily 
as an antelope bounds up the side of a mountain. 
But when his head struck against the celestial azure, 
Indra, the lord of the firmament, looking over, said : 
"Fall, Trisanku !" and, head downwards, reeling and 
tumbling hither and thither, the luckless monarch 
began to fall through the ocean of air, clutching 
desperately at empty space. 

" Save me, Visvamitra ! " he shrieked. 
| Then this indomitable Lion among Ascetics flung 
upwards the words: 

"I command thee to stop, Trisanku !" and, obe- 
dient to his voice, half-way between earth and heaven 
swung the Body of the terrified monarch. 

Then, in an ungovernable rage, the invincible 



VISVAMITRA MEDITATES DEPOSING THE GODS. 



69 



Visvamitra set to work to create new gods in the 
place of Indra and his colleagues. 

" What is the use of these supine Immortals ?" he 
said. " One offers them sacrifices, of which they are 
too languid to partake; one prays and goes into 
ecstasies, and sings, and shouts, but they are too 
drowsy to hear. Only when, having vainly implored 
their aid, one makes up one's mind to do without it, 
they take their heavy heads off their cloud-pillows and 
undo all one's work, to teach one to be less presump- 
tuous, forsooth ! For my part, I am tired of these 
mischievous laggards ! Let us either have gods who 
will heartily lend us their aid and labour with us, or 
who will sleep altogether and let us do our work 
undisturbed." 

When the Immortals heard this resolute man speak 
thus, they were seriously uneasy ; and Indra himself 
forsook the skies to seek to appease his wrath. 

"Wherefore are you thus incensed, Visvamitra?" 
inquired the persuasive Indra. " Up in heaven we 
have a specially warm regard for you, and hope some 
day to count you in our brotherhood. It was with 
great reluctance that I did you this displeasure just 
now ; but you know, holy man, that to defend the laws 
is a duty for those who know them ; and it is really 
out of the question for this king, whom a priest's 
curse has defiled, to enter the celestial abode with 
his Body." 

The royal penitent was naturally gratified to learn 
that he was regarded with special favour by the Im- 
mortals; also, he at once renounced all intention of 



Chap. IV. 



The anger 
of Visva- 
mitra causes 
Indra to 
expostulate 
with him. 



7° 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 



A t the re- 
quest of the 
Penitent, 
Trisanku 
remains in 
mid- air. 



He answered Indra 



Metiaka de- 
clares she 
can conquer 
t/ie Hermit's 
resolutio7i. 



deposing such judicious rulers, 
affectionately : 

" I understand your difficulty, most radiant of Im- 
mortals, and yet how can I fail in my promise to this 
Trisanku? May he not remain, as now, half-way 
between earth and heaven? You perceive he is 
supported easily by this galaxy of stars." 

" It shall be as you desire," answered the Immortal; 
and with that returned to heaven. 

So Trisanku remained in the celestial vault ; and the 
ignorant, or uninformed, imagine him to be merely 
an astral constellation. 

But Visvamitra, the merit of whose past austerities 
had been exhausted by this miracle, withdrew into 
the forest Pushkara, and during another thousand 
years persisted in his opiniative macerations. Brahma 
at length visited the royal penitent. 

"Why do you continue these cruel austerities?" 
asked the mgust sovereign of worlds ; " have I not 
accorded you the rank of Rishi among Kings?" 

But the zealous Hermit answered : 

" The title of Rishi does not satisfy me, O Brahma." 

Now the lower gods were alarmed at the perse- 
verance of this Lion among Ascetics. 

"He will conquer the empire of the universe," 
they said ;"no one seems capable of mastering his 
resolution." 

Then the Apsara, Menaka, laughed, and said : "lam." 

A Dream, that love had wrought into the form of a 
Woman, such seemed this lovely Menaka. Tender- 
ness softened her eyes and deepened the shade of 



THE APSARA MENAKA. 



71 



their lashes ; laughter played with her mouth, and 
kissed her cheek into dimples ; fancy unbound her 
hair, and twisted it into wavelets ; grace moulded her 
form, and passion touched it with languor. 

Down among the rushes and sedges, by the shores 
of the lake Pushkara, the Nymph laid her in the 
still eventide. Her sombrous hair floated down to the 
water, and swam on the glistening ripples. The timid 
reeds just touched her with their shadows, and the 
golden flags leant towards her, and grew pale. List- 
ening to the babbling waters, singing low with the 
babbling waters, Menaka lay, gazing upwards through 
the sedges, watching the soft tints of even. 
Thus Visvamitra found her. 

" Who art thou ?" exclaimed the startled anchorite. 
" How earnest thou hither, ineffable Star of Beauty? 
Hast thou fallen from heaven, or crept from the 
heart of the lustrous waters? Hast thou no pity on 
these trembling reeds, and these flags that have grown 
so pale?" 

" I love thee !" she answered. 
Then Visvamitra crushed through the reeds and 
the sedges, and snatching the Nymph to his heart, 
bore her with him to the hermitage. 

For the next five years, the anchorite, casting his 
penitence behind him, lived, as it were, one long 
dream of passion. 
Then he awoke. 

Awoke to find the fruits of his austere life scattered 
to the winds, his power of self-control gone, his reso- 
lution broken, his science dimmed. 



Chap. IV. 

Visvamitra 
is enslaved 
by the 

beautifzil 
Afisara. 



He lays by 
his life of 
penitence for 
five years. 



72 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 

He flies 
from the 
Nymph and 
resumes his 
self macera- 
tions. 



Brahma 
tells him he 
cannot ob- 
tain the 
desired title 
till he has 
completely 
subdued his 
passions. 



"Oh, these women!" he exclaimed; " surely the 
gods created them to prevent man from rivalling their 
greatness !" 

Prudently avoiding to bid her farewell, the Hermit 
fled from the enchanting Apsara, and sought the deso- 
late solitude of the mountains. There, exposed to the 
inclemency of the weather, and the torments of 
hunger and thirst, for ten long centuries did the reso- 
lute anchorite afflict his wretched body. At the close 
of this period the terrified Immortals appealed to 
Brahma, saying : 

" Oh, illustrious ancestor of worlds, we are filled with 
anxiety by this opiniative penitent ! Give him the 
title of Maharshi ; grant him what boon he desires, 
lest, by his invincible zeal, he gain a power equal to 
our own." 

Then once . again the august Brahma appeared 
to this Bull among Penitents, and thus addressed 
him : 

" Cease, O resplendent Visvamitra, to afflict your- 
self thus cruelly ; I give you the title of Maharshi, 
prince among Rishis." 

But Visvamitra, clasping his hands devoutly above 
his head, replied : 

" The title I would obtain, O King of Immortals, 
is that of Brahmarshi, saint among Brahmans." 

" Nay," returned the god, " that cannot be thine, 
O Visvamitra, until thou hast wholly daunted thy 
passioas. Is the fever of anger unknown to thee, or 
the fiery ardour of love ? Tread these passions under 
thy feet, daunt thy senses, and establish serenity in 



RAMBHA OF THE RADIANT SMILE. 



73 



thy mind, then mightest thou attain to this supreme 
dignity." 

After that, Visvamitra imposed on himself a still 
more terrible discipline. His arms held over his 
head, standing on one foot, with no aliment save 
bitter roots, in summer surrounded by five fires, and 
in winter exposed to the drenching rains, for one hun- 
dred years he sought to obtain a perfect mastery over 
his passions. Watching him, the immortals became 
sore afraid. 

" This time he will surely obtain what boon he 
wills," they said. 

Then Indra, the most wily of gods, called to him 
Rambha, the Apsara, whose eyes were like the petals 
of the lotus, and whose smile was like a flash of sun- 
light. 

"O Nymph of the radiant smile !" he whispered, 
" you can conquer this hermit's resolve ; you alone 
in the three worlds. Appear to him, then, charming 
Rambha, and dazzle him by the sight of your beauty!" 
But the trembling Apsara raised her hands prayer- 
fully over her head. 

"Nay," she said, "gracious Indra, lest this iras- 
cible anchorite detect the scheme and wither me by 
his potent curse ! " 

" Fear nothing, enchanting Rambha," answered the 
god, " I will accompany you. Under the form of a 
kokila I will keep very near you." 

So the Nymph of the radiant smile came like a 
gleam of sunlight flashing across the path of the Her- 
mit, and seeking to conquer his coldness. 



Chap. IV 



Indra urges 
Rambha to 
conquer the 
resohitio7L of 
the Hermit. 



74 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IV. 

Suspecting 
her design, 
he trans- 

forms Ram- 
bha into a 
rock. But 
having thus 

yielded to 
anger, his 

past merits 
are lost. 



After 
another 
thousand 
years of 
penance, 
Brahma 
grants hivi 
his petition. 



But Visvamitra at once divined the treachery. In 
a sudden fit of anger he exclaimed : 

" Since thou hast striven to deceive me, Rambha, 
and to rob me of the merits of my penitence, may thy 
traitorous charms all perish ; and may thy ardent 
loveliness be transformed into a cold rock, uncheered 
by the light of heaven." 

As he spoke a kokila, who was fluttering near, 
shook the air with its musical laughter. Then Vis- 
vamitra understood the double motive of Indra. He 
remembered that Brahma had charged him to con- 
quer the fever of anger as well as the restless ardour 
of love, and he was very sorrowful. 

Mournfully he withdrew to the wilds of Vajras- 
thana, and for one thousand years remained there 
silent and motionless as a rock. Then all the gods 
sought the presence of Brahma, saying : 

" We have sought vainly to awaken anger or con- 
cupiscence in the breast of this Maharshi. If you 
will not have the empire of heaven claimed by this 
indefatigable Saint, grant him his request, and let his 
penitence cease." 

Then the magnanimous Immortal appeared to the 
exhausted ascetic, and said : 

"I am content, O Visvamitra. The Brahmarshi 
is yours; cease, then, now and for ever, to afflict 
yourself thus cruelly !" 

Then, raising his hands reverently above his head, 
this Elephant amongst Saints replied : 

" O Brahma, if by the force of my penitence I have 
acquired the rank of a Brahman, let there enter into 



VISVAMITRA OBTAINS HIS DESIRE. 



75 



me knowledge of the holy writings, and of the Vedas, 
and of Truth, and Perfection, and Constancy, and 
Intelligence, and Science, and Quietude, and Patience, 
and Chastity, and Mercy, and Tolerance, and Grati- 
tude, and a Mind inaccessible to Error, and Emancipa- 
tion from Thought, and Emancipation from Desire !" 

It must be admitted that the illustrious and re- 
splendent Saint was not sparing in his requests, but it 
is noteworthy that he made no mention of the imma- 
culate Sabala. Had he grown sufficiently indifferent 
to all worldly advantages to despise this Pearl 
amongst Ruminant Creatures? or during these five 
thousand and odd years had the inestimable Quad- 
ruped expired ? 



Chap. IV. 
His request. 



CHAPTER V. 



DASARATHA S FAULT. 



Chap. V. 



The grief of 
Dasaratha. 



Nature, the universal mother, has sympathy with all 
her children. All smiles and blushes in the early 
dawn, she awakens the young and joyous, and with 
them wonders and hopes. On the bold and ardent 
she flashes hotly at noon ; she dreams with the languid 
at twilight hour ; at night she steps up to the mourner 
and puts her sweet face down quite near to his. 

She speaks to him no word of comfort ; there is 
one comforter for sorrow — Time; but she lays her 
shadowy hands upon his aching eyes, and gives to 
them the consolation of tears ; she touches his over- 
strained heart, and lo ! its bonds are snapped and its 
anguish overflows: she wraps him tenderly in her 
dark arms and bids him tell his grief; and, silently 
bending over him, she listens. 

So was it that the king Dasaratha, grieving sore 
for the banishment of Rama, remained for six long 
days petrified by his great sorrow. His venerable 
head bowed, and his eyes grown vague and dim, he 
listened to the reproaches of the forlorn Kauslya 
without one word of justification or complaint, until, 



KAUSA.LYA SEEKS TO COMFORT DASARATHA. 



77 



at sight of this unspeakable anguish, the woman's 
heart within her relented, and she turned from weeping 
her son in exile to seek to comfort this stricken old 
man her husband. Nay, with the magnanimous self- 
devotion of pity, she undertook the defence of the 
very action by which she was bereaved. 

" Cease to reproach thyself, O righteous monarch !" 
she said ; " thou hast shown, by this deed, thy spotless 
integrity and thy unflinching fidelity to truth. It was 
befitting thy grandeur to promise a boon to thy Queen 
Kaikeyl, for by her care she had restored thee to life 
and health when thou earnest back wounded from the 
battle. How couldst thou foresee that her maternal 
tenderness for her own son Bharata would render 
her jealous of the unrivalled virtue and beauty of 
Rama, and of the love these brilliant qualities had 
won for him, and induce her to demand his banish- 
ment? And if thy great attachment to Rama had 
made thee shrink from the fulfilment of the promise 
to which thou hadst unwittingly pledged thyself, 
thinkest thou Rama had stooped to profit by a weak- 
ness which cast a slur upon his father's honour? 
Nay, sire, thou art guiltless ; and in this world, whose 
government is in the hand of Brahm, where is no 
crime, is no just cause for sorrow." 

Still Dasaratha answered not. Her words had no 
significance for him ; his stupendous Grief stood be- 
tween him and the outer world, and shut him out from 
all communion with it. 

But at length, when this sixth day was dead, and 
the earth and sky were clad in mourning, the silent 



Chap. V. 



The consola- 
tions of his 
Queen. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. V. 



The King 
lavients 
Rama's ab- 
sence, but 
admits his 
punishment 
is deserved. 



sympathy of night overcame him ; and opening his 
arms wide to this darkness that sorrowed with him, 
the broken-hearted old man awoke from his despair- 
ing trance — and wept. 

As he put his hands forth blindly into the night, 
they were clasped fondly between two soft warm 
palms, and to each sob of his there was an echo. 

"Kausalya ..." he faltered dubiously. 

At that, that other Watcher came forward and put 
her caressing arms about his neck ; and so these two 
mourned together. 

"O Brahm !" exclaimed the stricken monarch pre- 
sently, " thy justice is inexorable ! With Thee sin 
involves sorrow, as the seed the fruit ; no atonement, 
no remorse can preclude the law. 

" From his own weakness man draws the power to 
pity and forgive ; but Thou, who art sinless, canst not 
pardon sin. 

"lam very old ; scarcely does my heart beat. I 
know it is because the icy hand of Yama is laid on it, 
— and my son is not here. My eyes are very dim. 
There is, as it were, a mist before them ■ I know the 
shadow of the death-god is on me,— and Rama is not 
here ! My limbs are feeble, my blood is growing 
chill. I draw breath hardly — more hardly every mo- 
ment ; alas ! and Rama is not here. My heart — this 
failing heart — is gasping for him ! My eyes — these 
fading eyes — are athirst to see him once again. My 
broken voice calls on him in vain. Alas ! my son ! 
my son ! 

" Thou art just, O Brahm ! 



D ASA RATH A TELLS A STORY OF HLS YOUTH. 



79 



" I heard an old man once on his death-bed — as I 
am now on mine— cry, with his feeble arms extended 
yearningly: 'Come to me, my son!' and there was 
no answer ; and the fault was mine. 

"Listen, Kausalya. It was long ago; I was 
young then — it must have been very long ago — I 
had not learnt the fellowship of all living things ; 
suffering had not taught me mercy, nor sorrow, love. 
The vigour and fire of youth thrilled my veins so 
hotly that there were moments when I was actually 
drunk with life. Then I was wont to seize my bow 
and arrows and start for the chase. 

" I found here a wild excitement and an exultant 
sense of power which satisfied me. As the winged 
arrows sped through the air, carrying death where my 
caprice willed, I seemed to myself a second god; 
nay, more, a controller of eternal Brahm himself! 
For where the great God said, ' Live ; delight in the 
sunshine, and in the joys of love, and in the beauty of 
this fair earth,' I, Dasaratha, answered, ' Nay, but I 
will not have it so; die, rather!' And this defiant 
'nay' hurled in the Creator's face triumphed ! 

" O dim-sighted one ! And thy hand which grasped 
the bow, and this other which adjusted the arrow, 
from whence had they their skill? And this law, 
by which thy dart remained so long and no longer 
in mid-air, and fell just here rather than there, from 
whence proceeded it ? O fool ! who, in thy arrogance 
sawest not that God, who uses all men for the perfect- 
ing of His work, found thee worthy of the basest office 
only — the executioner's ! 



Chap. V. 



He tells how 
once he took 
delight in. 
the chase. 



8o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. V. 

Of how he 
•went at 
eventide to 
the shores of 
the Sarayu. 



He hears a 
sound he 
takes for the 
gurgling of 
an elephant 
i?i the water. 



" One day, in the pleasant season of rains, my bow 
swung across my shoulders, I strolled down to the 
Sarayu, the sleepy river. The delicious dew spangled 
the emerald grass, and glistened tremulously on every 
fragile blade. Through the air floated slowly the 
azure butterflies breathing in perfumes; and the golden 
bees, with murmurs of delight, buried themselves amid 
the petals of the roses, and revelled there. On the 
river's breast the swans, with their large spreading 
wings, let the languid current bear them as it would ; 
and along the banks the cranes, perched on one leg, 
watched dreamily the slowly flowing waters, seem- 
ingly struck with wonder that their own reflections 
and the shadows of the reeds and sedges did not 
float away also adown the drifting river. 

" The peacefulness and calm appealed to me, and 
bade me forbear to mar this harmony. But in 
those days I was insensible to such pleadings. 

" I was proud of my skill in taking successful aim, 
guided only by the indications of sound, the object of 
my pursuit being hidden from me. Accordingly, I 
laid myself down behind a palasa bush, and, keeping 
all in readiness, waited. 

" When evening has breathed coolly on the limpid 
waters, the gazelles and antelopes in herds, and the 
elephants and buffaloes one by one, come down to 
the still Sarayu to slake their thirst, or to bathe in 
the delicious river. I felt no surprise, then, when 
presently the grass was crushed down and the 
fringe of reeds torn through, and I heard in the 
stream the gurgling sound the elephant makes 



THE FATAL ERROR. 



81 



when drinking, and which nearly resembles the bub- 
bling a pitcher makes when let down into the water 
suddenly. 

"Stealthily preparing my bow from behind my 
ambush, I shot off an arrow in the direction of the 
sound. I heard the hissing dart tear through the air. 
There was a second's pause;— and then, O horror! 
the calm beauty of the even was rendered hideous 
by a hicman shriek ! 

"'Alas! I am stricken !— I am dead!' cried the 
voice ;— and, aghast, my soul re-echoed the cry. In 
the heavens above, the pure clouds turned to Red • 
over the whole earth a mist that was Red, Red' 
gathered. It swam at my feet ; my hands were dyed 
by It ; my heart was steeped in It ; my life, for ever 
and for ever, was stained with It;— Blood! 

"But a moment since, and I had been guiltless, and 
the world beautiful; now this frightful Stain was on 
me ; and in all the earth and sky was nothing left 
save Horror !— Horror I 

"Alas!' I heard the broken voice falter as I 
crouched behind the bush, which shrank away from 
me, shuddering, 'what cruel hand has murdered 
me? Why? I am a blameless anchorite— I never 
harmed a living thing! Who is it that has had the 
heart?' 

" I could not bear this. Trembling with anguish 
and remorse, I sprang forth from my hiding-place, 
and found a poor Youth stretched on the river's 
brink. His face was livid, and from his side issued 
a little stream of blood. 



Chap. V. 



Uninten- 
tionally 
Dasaratha 
wotinds a 
young 
anchorite. 



82 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. V. 



TJie dying 
Youth's re- 
proaches. 



Dasaratha 

imfiloresfor- 

giveness. 



" Beside him, I flung me on my knees, and wrung 
my hands, and cursed the hour of my birth. 

" ' Tell me, stranger,' faltered the dying Boy, ' what 
cause of hatred have I given you? I, who love all 
living creatures ; I, from whom the wild animals do 
not flee, when I pass them, in the forest. Willingly 
I have done wrong to none. I live here with my aged 
father ; he is blind, and I wait on him. I came here 
with my pitcher to seek water for him. Alas ! who 
will fetch water for him now, or lead him out into the 
pleasant shade, or warn him if there be any danger 
near? When I am dead, who will care for the old 
blind man? Oh, cruel stranger! this arrow will 
traverse my breast, and pierce his too! Why have 
you been thus pitiless?' 

" Blinded with tears, I sought to sustain him in my 
arms ; I pressed my agonized face against his, that 
was growing chill; I strove to warm him with my 
breath. 

" ' Oh live !' I cried; 'live ! live ! Only that ! I 
am a miserable wretch, — and yet I do not merit you 
should die ! Alas ! alas ! I am a skilled archer ; 
there are some who praise me for it, as though it were 
a grand thing to destroy life ! And to say such 
praises were pleasant to me ! I came here, to the 
river Sarayu, because I know the wild animals 
quench their thirst at even ; and I was hidden behind 
yonder bush — it quite shuts out the river. Oh, be- 
lieve me, one sees nothing from behind it ! I heard 
your pitcher, and I took it for an elephant who gurgled 
in the water ; you hear me — you understand ? The 



THE SAC RED NESS OF LIFE. 



sound misled me— I thought it was an elephant ! I 
have sinned, I have been cruel and hard of heart, but 
I have not merited this hideous guilt! gentle 
youth, for very pity do not die ! ' 

" He answered me, with ineffable mildness : 
'"I believe you,' he said — and there came a 
superhuman light into his large, patient eyes—' I am 
sure that you are in grievous sorrow, and I pity 
you. But thus has the Universal Father willed to 
show you the necessary guilt the destruction of life 
involves. To the heedless, each different creature 
seems a being with distinct hopes, an/I fears, and 
aims, confined to that slight shell he calls himself. 
Were this so, a life blotted out were no great matter; 
for who ceases to be, does not regret existence. But,' 
as in the sensible world is no essential gap between 
the different forms of matter, so is there no void to 
rush between life and life, and make soul differ from 
soul, otherwise than accidentally. 1 As, also, the 
changed position of a single object alters the relative i 
position of all other things, so does one death disturb 
the whole order of life • but here is not merely the 
shifting of unconscious relationships, but the rupture 
of hallowed attachments, the laceration of supreme 
affections !' 

" He had raised himself into a sitting posture whilst 

"Accidentally," *. e. by its modes or accidents. Substantially I 
the creed of the Brahmans is identical with the philosophy of 
Spinoza. There are only verbal differences, and these of so 
transparent a nature that they can conceal from no thoughtful 
observer the similarity of the two systems. 

G 2 ' 



Chap. V. 



The young 

anchorite 

pardons 

him. 



S4 



THE ILIAD OF THE EASI. 



Chap. V. 



Ere dying 
the Youth 
bids Dasa- 
ratha seek 
to disarm 
hisfather's 
wrath. 



speaking ; but, at the last words, he sank back, and, 
but for my sustaining arm, had fallen on the ground. 
The light faded from his countenance, and over his 
lips crept that fatal blueness which reveals the kiss of 

Yama. -,. a a 

« < For me,' he said faintly, ' I must die— already 
the chill is stealing over me 1 O stranger, I would not 
that my father, in his grief, should curse thee for this 
crime thou didst unwittingly. Seek him, then, at once ; 
kneel to him, and say: "He forgave me!" Perchance, 
then he will forbear to curse thee. But, ere leaving 
me, draw forth this dart from my cruel wound— I am 
sick with pain 1 ' > . t 

« I bent over him, and very tenderly withdrew the 
murderous weapon. Then he gave one sigh of great 
relief ; and, with a last pitying look at my despairing 
face, expired ! ' 

"For a while I sat there beside him, like one stunned. 
I could not think; I knew that the youth was dead, 
and that /had murdered him ! I knew, too, that there 
was Blood beside me ; that It had soaked into the 
ground ; that It had bespattered the blossoms of some 
little flowers. 

" They bent beneath it. 

« I knew that overhead the clouds, that were dyed 
crimson, hung motionless; and that the wind was 
powerless to stir them, or even to carry them away ! 
I knew the reflection of them stained the river's placid 
breast; and that the waters strove vainly to disperse 
them, or to lave them white. I knew that the shud- 
dering reeds had heard his first despairing shriek ; 



THE DESOLATE HERMITAGE. 



85 



and that they whispered to the waters, ' Alas, I am 
stricken ! I am dead ! ' and that the stream caught 
up the Whisper, and said it out aloud; and, carrying it 
with it, went repeating it loudly, and always more 
loudly, along its course. 

"I was vaguely conscious of all this, as I sat looking 
stupidly before me, wondering at the flies, who danced 
upon the river's face as though the horrid Colour were 
not there, and buzzed as joyously as though there 
were no dreadful Whisper in the air ! 

" Suddenly, I bethought me, that it was a terrible 
thing to be thus alone, with— with It ! 

" Then I sprang up from beside the Corpse, and fled. 
" Dimly remembering that he had bidden me seek 
out his father, and had waved his hand towards a 
thicket that was near, I took that direction ; more 
because some blind impulse impelled me thither, than 
because I realized his dying charge. Near the entrance 
of the wood I came upon a modest hut, thatched with 
dead branches and withered leaves. 

"Then the recognition of the whole cruel truth came 
to me, in a flash : I knew that I stood outside the 
dead Boy's Home ! 

" A second time I had turned and fled, but it was 
too late ; from within the hut a voice called to me. 

" ' Art thou there at length ? ' it said ; < oh, I am 

thankful ! The time seemed long without thee, 

Yajnadatta; why didst thou stay so long, my son ?' 

" Then, as I stood there, silent, the voice resumed : 

' Why dost thou not speak to me ? Art angry 

that I said the time seemed long ? Nay, be not angry 



Chap. V, 



Dasaratha 
hears the 
blind man 
call his son. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. V. 



He confesses 
his involun- 
tary crime. 



with thy old father ! I meant not to reproach thee, 
Yajnadatta ! But when thou art near me, I forget 
my blindness and all my infirmities ; I feel them only 
in thine absence, and that is why I said the time 
seemed long. I meant not to chide thee, boy ! Thou 
didst well to linger a while, and to sport in the cool 
waters ; thou didst very well . . . O Yajnadatta, speak 
to me.' 

" Then I came forward, and spoke rapidly in my 
grief: 

" ' I am not your son ; my name is Dasaratha ; 
my father is King of Ayodhya. I am' the most mise- 
rable of men ! I sought to-day the excitement of the 
chase ; I came to the shores of the lonely Sarayu, and 
hid myself behind a bush. I had never heard that 
there were human beings in these desolate wilds ■ I 
thought only the wild beasts of the forest came down 
at even, to the cool river, to drink ; that was why I 
hid myself behind the bush. I heard a gurgling 
sound, and thought it was an elephant who drank ; 
it was your son who let the pitcher down into the 
stream ; and my arrow struck him — and — he died ! 
I tell you, it was unawares ; I prayed him, bitterly, to 
live • I had gladly given my life to purchase his ! He 
knew that it was unawares ; he forgave me ; — but, 
alas, he died ! ' 

" He stood before me, his poor, sightless eyes dis- 
tended, his face frozen into vacant stillness; he gasped 
once or twice, then he said, feebly : 

" ' Of whom are you speaking ? I am an old man; 
I am blind ; I have an only son ' 



THE FATHER'S GRIEF. 



87 



" Then with sudden vehemence: < Where is my only 
son ? ' J . 

" From the ground, at his feet, I answered him • 
" ' Dead ! ' 

"Then the wretched father threw his hands up above 
his head. 

'Dead!' he shrieked; 'dead, before me! My 
boy dead ? No, no ! I did not hear you right— I am 
old; you did not say my boy was dead ? A short while 
since he went forth to fetch water ; I heard him singing 
as he went ; it seemed to me no kokila, in early spring, 
could have so sweet a voice ! A foolish thought, you 
will say? Aye, aye— perhaps, perhaps— but I am an 
old, blind man, and have no joy in life, save my son 
—save my son. That was why I said, just now, it was 
not possible ; I believe in God, for my part— I know it 
is not possible ! I mistook your words; or perchance 
you did but jest with me ? That was wrong— I am too 
old! But I pardon you, I pardon you! He will be 
back soon— it is not a great way to the river ; I told 
you ! He has gone thither to fetch me water— he— he 

will be here anon ' 

" I answered him only by my sobs. 
"Monster!' cried the old man, grasping my arm 
in a sudden passion of despair, 'why do you not 
answer me ? If this be indeed true, and my son, my 
only son, has perished by your hand, how dare you 
face my wrathful agony? What care I whether your 
crime were voluntary or no, since it has left me deso- 
late ? Do you despise a Brahman's curse, that you are 
here ? ' 



Chap. V. 



The old man 
reftises to 
believe this 
possible. 



I11 an agony 
of grief and 
rage he pre- 
pares to 
curse the 
murderer. 



ss 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. V. 

Dasaratha 
tells the 
Youth's 
dying-words. 



" From the dust, at his feet, I answered him : 

'"He bade me come ; lying in my arms, very feeble, 
he said, "Kneel to my father and say: 'He forgave me; 
perchance then he will forbear to curse thee.' " They 
were the last words ere he died.' 

" Then he burst out a weeping : 

" ' Lead me,' he cried, ' lead me to my son ! He is 
not quite dead, perhaps ; he has fainted ; my voice 
may awaken him from his deep trance ! Or if he have 
indeed passed into the silent World, Yama will pity 
me ; his father 1 has kept his radiance back from me 
so many years, that Yama will surely pity me, and give 
me back my son ! Kshatriya, show me where he lies.' 

"And so I wound my arm about the old man's waist, 
and brought him to the river's bank, where lay the 
innocent Youth, quite stiff and dead, near to the 
shuddering reeds. The poor father laid him down 
beside the corpse, and sought to chafe the rigid limbs 
with his weak tremulous hands. 

" ' Yajnadatta ! Light of my soul ! ' he wept, 
' speak one word to thy old blind father, only one ! 
Oh return, return ; but for a little hour return to me, 
and we will depart together ! I had died long since, 
Yajnadatta, but for thee ; I waited, — waited, — I was 
tired and very weak, but I could not die and leave my 
boy ! And now it is thou, O son ! who hast forsaken 
the old, blind man ! ' 

" So, pressing his withered face against the still 
placid countenance of the Dead, the veteran spent 
himself in wild entreaties and piteous complaints. 
1 The sun-god Surya is father of Yama the Death-god. 



DEEDS OF MOKE MOMENT THAN SUFFERINGS. 



" At length exhaustion, and his great feebleness, 
hushed the rebellious tempest of his grief; and he 
wept tranquilly, as do the clouds after the lightning has 
spent its fire, and the thunder hurled forth its rage. 
Then, to the memory of Yajnadatta, we performed 
the ceremony of Lustrous Waters, and having piled 
high the boughs of scented wood, we tenderly laid 
the young anchorite on his last earthly couch. 

"As the sacred Fire enveloped, in a shroud of gold, 
the Body Yama thought to dishonour by his defiling 
touch, floating upwards to the supernal azure, the 
spirit of Yajnadatta lingered a while, like an ethereal 
cloud, in mid-air. And as the kindly dews fall softly 
from the bosom of the morning, consoling words 
floated downwards, to cheer the aged mourner. 

" ' Thy loneliness is not for long, Father, not for long ! 
The all Merciful Ruler will soon stop thee, with His 
hand, and say : " Life is too heavy for these stooping 
shoulders ; I will remove the Burthen ! Rest, thou poor 
old man ! " And then shall even the memory of thy 
sorrow be no more. 

' ' But for Dasaratha is more cause for pity. A man's 
deeds are more memorable than his sufferings ; he 
ceases so very soon to feel,— and then his joys and 
griefs are as though they had not been ; but his actions, 
which are the reason of his life, remain. I sorrow less 
for thee, Father, than for Dasaratha ! ' 

"He spoke truly, Kausalya ! In a few days, tended 
lovingly by me, the old man died, and his anguish was 
no more. And I, after these long years, am bending 
now beneath the guerdon of my sin ! " 



Chap. V. 



TIiefu7ieral 
of Yajna- 
datta. 



Thebereaved 
father is 
comforted 
and Dasa- 
ratha 
•warned. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN SITA AND ANASUYA. 



Chap. VI. 



Rama is 

very 

mournful. 



In the grey of morning, Rama stood at the door of his 
hermitage. His head was very heavy ; his heart, too, 
was not light. Leaning against the trunk of the 
perfumed peepul tree, he gazed with wistful eyes in 
the direction of Ayodhya. It had seemed to him that 
some light in earth or heaven would reveal where the 
fair city lay, but there was no such token ; in the wide 
distance was no gleam of light ; Ayodhya was so far 
away ! 

So far away ; — his father, the old King Dasaratha, 
whom grief had slain, and who had passed into the 
Restful World ; his mother, the loving Kausalya ; his 
younger brother, Bharata, who had followed him into 
these wilds, to seek to conquer his resolve, and win 
him back to his throne and country, all so far away ! 

It is an error to suppose that the brave are neces- 
sarily strong • to be a Giant is one thing, to be a Hero 
is quite another. 

In the eyes of Rama swam a mist of unshed tears ; 
suffering could not master him : yet he suffered ! 

Presently a ruddy glow crimsoned the heavens, and 
Surya, the sun-god, leapt forth from his misty chamber. 



DAYBREAK ON MOUNT CHITRAKUTA. 



9i 



" Good morrow ! " shouted he to the slumbrous 
earth ; and thereupon she shook off her dim languor 
and smiled back on him, brightly, " Good morrow ! " 
The flowers, who had been weeping, raised their 
gentle faces, still wet with dewy tears, and laughed in 
their delight. The waving grass tossed the long 
shadows to and fro, and played with them and said, 
" We fear you no longer ; begone ! It is day ! " 

" It is day," muttered the evil beasts, and crouched 
low in their dark lairs. 

" It is day ! " carolled the birds, and began to soar 
and sing. 

Only in Rama's heart the night still lingered. 
" The holy anchorites, who dwelt on this mountain, 
have all fled/' he said to his brother and to the gentle 
Sita j " they tell me that Rakshasas and evil spirits, 
who hate all living things, prowl about here by night. 
Think you, we do well to linger here ? " 

Then Lakshmana, the impetuous young warrior, 
broke into a fearless laugh. 

" I am not a holy anchorite," he said, toying with 

his mighty bow, "to dread the sight of these Rakshasas; 

I have no treasures of penitence to lose, if I yield to 

' a fit of anger ; there is nothing would please me more 

than to encounter these enemies of gods and men ! " 

But Sita took Rama's hand, and put it tenderly to 
her lips. 

" Nay/' she said softly, " let us leave this mount 
Chitrakuta ; / fear these cruel Rakshasas ; I am very 
timid, Lakshmana ! " 

For she read her husband's heart, and knew that 



Chap. VI, 



He proposes 
to quit their 
kermitas-d. 



9 2 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VI. 



A day's 
journey 
brings theiii 
to the her- 
mitage of the 
Saint A tri. 



the evil spirits he dreaded were the idle regrets 
which this spot, where he had bidden farewell to 
Bharata, fostered in his mind. 

Her love for him told her that. 

So they left the fertile mount Chitrakiita, and the 
pleasant hermitage, beneath the spreading peepul tree, 
to wander once more in the pathless forest. 

Towards the close of the first day, they reached the 
humble dwelling which the magnanimous Brahman, 
Atri, had sanctified by his life of penitence. When 
the holy man recognized Rama, the Dasarathide, he 
was filled with delight ; and turning to the venerable 
saint, his consort, exclaimed : 

" See, Anasuya, here comes this youthful prince 
who prefers dignity to honour, and self-respect to 
the glories of renown. To the vulgar he appears the 
victim of fatality ; but the enlightened see in him one 
who has dared to face his destiny, and say : ' Thou 
art strong, but I am noble ; do thy worst, and I shall 
still pass through it, head erect ! ' " 

So saying, the saintly hermit hastened forth to meet 
his guests. 

At sight of the old recluse the two young heroes 
performed a pradakshina round him with great respect, 
whilst the bashful Sita stood with downcast eyes be- 
fore the holy man. When the venerable Atri had 
cordially greeted Rama and Lakshmana, he turned 
to the gentle daughter of Janaka, and sought to 
reassure her by his kindly words. 

"Thou art welcome, O Flower of Beauty !" he said. 
" My rude hut is all unused to harbour so lovely a 



A MIRACLE AMONGST SAINTLY WOMEN 



93 



guest. Anasuya, my faithful consort, had come forth 
herself to greet thee, but she is an aged woman, Sita, 
and very feeble ; but if thou wilt deign to enter, and 
to approach her, she will open her arms to thee ten- 
derly, as does the waning night to the radiant star of 
morning." 

Then turning to Rama he added, with justifiable 
pride : 

" Doubtless you have heard, O Prince, of this Ana- 
suya, this Miracle amongst saintly women? When 
there was a dearth in the land, she afflicted herself 
with terrible penances, for ten thousand years, that 
fertility might return to the earth. On another occa- 
sion, travelling on the affairs of the Immortals, by 
virtue of her astounding macerations, she made one 
night equal to ten. In fact this Pearl amongst women 
has heaped up treasures by her unequalled penitence, 
and can demand what boon she wills at the hands of 
the Immortals. She has spoken to me, with favour, of 
your blooming Vaidehi, 1 and will certainly receive 
her with a mother's tenderness." 

Then Rama turned to Sita, and said : 

" Thou art fortunate, Bride of my heart, to have 
won the favourable esteem of this illustrious Penitent. 
Enter then the hermitage, and bear, I pray thee, my 
greetings to the holy Anasuya." 

So, whilst the two princes accompanied the Brahman 
to the stream, where he bathed at even, as the sacred 
rites command, Sita entered the hermit's dwelling. 

She found the ancient woman seated on a couch 
1 Vaidehi— Sita was Princess of Vaideha and Mithila. 



Chap. VI. 



A tri tells 
the surpris- 
ing self- 
maceratio7is 
of Anasuya. 



Sita visits 
the Holy 
Woman. 



94 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VI. 



A nasuya 
commends 

her as a 
dutiful "wife. 



of the sacred grass, kusa ; her figure was bent and 
withered, her countenance wrinkled, her eyes dim, 
and she trembled always, as the aspen does when the 
rough north wind is abroad. 

She had no need to macerate herself any more ; 
nature had laid on her the supreme penance of age ; 
which earns, too, the supreme compensation — rest. 

Clasping her hands and raising them to her fore- 
head, as the laws of politeness require, the Princess 
of Mithila bowed herself before the illustrious Saint, 
and inquired, courteously, how she did. 

Then the venerable Anasuya looked long and 
fixedly at the gentle Vaidehi. 

" Thou art beautiful, child," she said at length, and 
her voice was harsh as the mountain winds among 
the creaking firs; " and that is not ill : thou art 
young and in good health, and that is better; thou 
art a dutiful and obedient wife, and that is best of all ! 
I have heard of thee ; how thou hast abandoned the 
luxuries of the court to follow thy husband's fortunes 
in the pathless woods. There are many would tell 
thee thou hadst performed a heroic action ; but I am 
too old to use flatteries. I say merely thou hast done 
thy duty. A dutiful wife is the reflection of her hus- 
band ; her mind is the mirror which repeats his 
thoughts ; her actions shape them after the model of 
his ; and she herself follows him, meekly and self- 
forgettingly, as the shadow which trails behind him in 
the dust ! " 

Then Sita answered the stern old woman, 
simply : 



HOW LOVE CAN TEACH DUTY. 



95 



" I cannot tell whether I be a dutiful wife or 
no ; I only know that I love Rama. When I stood 
by the sacred Fire, and the Flame glowed up into my 
Hero's face, as he vowed to love and cherish me, his 
eyes met mine, and they held me, and I could not 
look away. 

" Then my soul went out to him. 

" I cannot tell if it was God did that or the flame, 
which lit up both our faces, or whether his dark, wist- 
ful eyes drew the heart out from me ! I only know 
that when my gaze fell there was a Heaviness in my 
breast, and a Pain, and yet a strange Delight. And 
where there had been selfish pride before," was written 
Rama; and where there had been hope, or joy, or 
beauty, was written Rama; and where there had 
been dreams of unknown bliss, was written Rama ; 
and where there had been God and heaven, was' 
written Rama !— I know not if my mind reflects his 
own, but every dumb, vague thought of mine he re- 
veals clearly to me, and tells it me in living words ; I 
cannot say whether I shape my actions after his pat- 
tern, but all I strive to do he consummates and per- 
fects ; whether I follow him like his shadow, meekly 
and self-forgettingly, I know not, but where he goes, 
I too go all unwittingly, for I seem to nestle in his 
heart." 

Then Anasuya, the aged matron, stroked Sita's 
cheek, and said : 

" Thy words have the fire of youth, my daughter, 
and love sings in thy voice as through the notes of 
the kokila. The past comes back to me, as I hear 



Chap. VI. 

Slid 
answers 
that she 

loves Rama. 



9 B 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VI. 



A nasiiya 
confers on 
Slid, the gift 
of unfading 
charms. 



thee name thy Beloved. The music of thy voice 
brings the dead past back to me." 

At that the Vaidehi, half ashamed of her loving 
confession, hid her glowing face in the old woman's 
bosom, and lay there trembling. 

" Listen, my gentle singing Bird," said the vene- 
rable Anastiya. " By virtue of my austere life, I 
have obtained many gifts from the generous Immor- 
tals ; one of them I have reserved for thee. Hence- 
forth thou shalt walk adorned with celestial radiance, 
which shall add fresh lustre to thy surpassing beauty. 
The soft tints of thy raiment shall not fade nor be 
ever soiled ; and these flowers I twine in thy glossy 
hair shall never die nor lose their sweetness." 

The Recluse proceeded to deck the youthful 
princess in garments of tender colours, and to 
hang glistening gems round her neck, and her small 
wrists, and her round graceful ankles. Then the 
amorous bride of Rama flung her arms round the aged 
Saint. 

"I shall be more beautiful in his sight !" she whis- 
pered. " Pearl among Ancient Women, you have 
filled my heart with gladness !" 

Then Anasuya bade the Vaidehi sit down beside 
her on the sacred grass ; and passing her arm 
round her, drew her graceful head down upon her 
shoulder. 

"Now talk to me, child," she said; "your voice is 
very sweet to my ears. Tell me the story of your 
birth, for I have heard you were born of no mortal 
woman." 



SITA'S STORY. 



97 



he feels with them, 
as a righteous king 



And so, reclining in Anasuya's embrace, Sita told 
her story. 

"There is a king of Mithila," she said, " who loves 
his people as his own children. His life is very full 
of care; for, on all occasions, 
and strives to think for them, 
should do. 

"It is a heavy charge to be on one man's 
shoulders. 

*| The name of this righteous monarch is Janaka ; 
he is my revered father. 

" Some time back, as he was tracing with a plough 
the circle which encloses the ground where sacrifices 
are offered, a sudden ecstasy seized him. His heart, 
which had been mournful and depressed, glowed with 
new warmth, and into his mind, which anxiety had 
filled with clouds, came a rush of light. 

"From the loose sod thrown up round him, all 
threaded through with fibrous roots, he looked to the 
rich fields and pastures, and to the flowering shrubs 
and giant trees; and his heart warmed to the generous 
Goddess who holds the seeds of all things in her 
bosom ! 

"'0 gentle Spirit of the Earth!' he cried, < thou 
alone givest me comfort for Humanity. The sky 
draws back her azure robes, and with her myriad 
radiant eyes looks down, in still surprise, on this dark, 
restless speck called Man. The wailing World of 
Waters makes monotonous lament— swinging forward 
ebbing backward, in dull sorrow, that knows nor rest 
nor hope. Standing near, the Heart, too, loses hope, 

H 



Chap. VI, 



Si td tells of 
her father's 
■many cares. 



Of how he 
praised the 
kindly God- 
dess of the 
soil. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VI, 



Of the Earth 
Spirit 's 
answer to 
his loving 
words. 



and there seems no cure for grief, nor any Purpose in 
the Life of Man. 

" ' But thou, Prithivi, noble Goddess of the Soil ! 
who art more than generous, who art just; who dost 
not merely give, but who acceptest ; who, honouring 
Man, sayest not, " Here, poor Creature, is thy daily 
food;" but, "Comrade, put thy hand in mine, and let 
us work together • feed me, and I will give thee food ; 
tend me, and I will guard and shelter thee ; love me, 
and I will cast my beauty at thy feet ; observe and 
study me, and I will teach thee to be strong, and 
pure, and brave," — thou, beloved Goddess ! art my 
comforter and guide ; and, had it pleased Heaven to 
give me lineage, I had brought my heir to thee, and 
said, " Oh, rear this child up in thy fecund heart, 
that I, who love thee, may possess an image of 
thyself!"' 

" As he spoke, a dreamy haze stole over the sweet 
Earth's face, like to the misty tenderness which veils 
a maiden's eyes when told she is beloved. Little 
by little, the amorous Cloud merged into ethereal 
semblance of a Woman's form. It floated irito the 
embrace of his extended arms, and rested on his 
impassioned breast most lovingly, a moment; then 
died back into the formless air ; and left him, thrilled 
by that ineffable caress, enraptured, but very tre- 
mulous ! 

" ' I have had a Vision,' he said presently, and sighed. 
— * Only a Vision ! ' he repeated, and half wept. 

" But, as he put his hand to the plough once more, 
lo before him, in the gaping furrow, he saw the loose 



THE DAUGHTER OF THE SOIL. 



99 



soil move; and at length, slowly and with difficulty 
pushing through the heavy earth, emerged before him, 
as he stood wonderstruck, a pretty Babe, with large 
bewildered eyes, who rested its tiny dimpled hand 
upon the broken turf, and struggled hard, and asked, 
by plaintive cries, to be released. 

"I have heard my father say, that when he saw me 
thus,— my small limbs covered quite with dust, and 
my poor innocent face turned up to his,— that his 
heart cried out loudly : 

"< This is my child!' 

"And a whisper from the deep bosom of the Earth 
" answered : 

" ' And mine I ' 

" So Janaka ran forward, and snatched me to his 
breast ; then I wept no longer, but smiled happily, 
and nestled there. 

"And where he took me from sprang up a bed of 
flowers, and they did not fade with summer, but grew 
more fragrant as the years went on. And when I 
grew older, and could walk and run alone, I used to 
steal there often, and lie down amongst them; and 
they would cluster round me, and whisper, ' Welcome 
little sister ! ' . 

"But Janaka taught me ever to reverence the 
generous Earth, my Mother; and to strive to be as 
pure and true and brave as she. And he called me 
l Sita^ because I sprang from out of a furrow ot the 
ground. 

"This, Holy Woman, is the story of my birth." 
1 Situ means furrow. 

H 2 ' 



Chap. VI. 



Of the Babe 
she gave 
him. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VI. 



Then Anasuya folded the Vaidehi in her arms : 
" Thou hast indeed the courage of the brave Earth- 
Mother," she said, "for thou hast not feared to face 
the scorching heat, and the biting winds, and the 
angry storm! And thou art as noble too, O Sita ! 
For thou hast lavished thy beauty on the sorrowful J 
and hast sought to make even the path of exile 
sweet to thy Beloved ! That is why I have given 
thee unfading charms ; which, like the flowers that 
cradled thee, shall outlive thy summer. 

"But look; through the doorway I see the an- 
chorites, their valkalas 1 glistening with silver water, 
returning from the sacred river. The night must 
be near; the jealous night who puts a veil over all 
else, and says, * Behold me; I am decked with stars !' 
Ere the darkness descend, stand forth, beside me, 
Vaidehi, that I may see thee in thy new apparel." 

So the gentle Princess of Mithila stood up ; and 
Anasuya admired her greatly, and said: 

"These gems, and this radiance I have caused to 
dwell upon thee, Sita, have greatly enhanced thy 
loveliness." 

And so thought Rama and Lakshmana, when they 
entered the hermitage ; and when they heard that the 
Vaidehi was to retain her beauty through the suc- 
ceeding years, they were the more delighted, and 

said : 

" That is a favour seldom granted to mortal woman. 

1 Valkala— mantles worn by anchorites. 



CHAPTER VII. 



SURPANAKHA. 



About this time lived an illustrious hermit, named 
Agastya. He was justly renowned in the three 
worlds, both for the persistency of his self-macerations, 
and the amazing power he had acquired thereby; 
neither of which had been equalled by any saint 
before him, nor, it is probable, will be by any that 
may come after. I will not attempt to enter here on 
the history of his astounding miracles : but when I 
shall have told you that, on one occasion, he devoured 
the Rakshasa Vatapi, under the form of a ram ; and 
that, on another, to please the Immortals, he swallowed 
the sea, with its alligators and aquatic monsters, I 
think you will admit I have not overrated his merits. 

But these things were mere trifles to the resplendent 
Agastya. 

It was near to the abode of this unrivalled saint 
that Rama wished to establish his new hermitage. 

Now, Agastya lived in the midst of the terrible 
forest, Dandaka, where eternal darkness reigned. The 
huge trees there towered up till they reached the light, 
branchless; then they spread forth their massive 



Chap. VII. 

The as- 

tounding 
miracles of 
the Saint 
Agastya. 



Rama 

wishes to 
dive 11 near 
the Hen?tit. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VII. 

The evil 
wood of 
Dandakci. 



boughs, and crushed them down, the one on the other, 
to ward off the sunshine ; if any emaciated beam 
forced its way through the outer foliage, it was 
strangled, straightway, by the creeping plants that 
twisted them round the naked trunks, and swung 
their fibrous arms from tree to tree. There were few 
sounds, and less movement; yet one was conscious 
that the Forest teemed with life ; the intense stillness 
itself revealed this. It was not the calm of solitude 
but the suspended breath, which betrays a Hiding 
Place ! The large-bladed grass grew to a monstrous 
height ; it was of a bright metallic green, that 
showed the dank mephitic slime which nourished it ; 
fungi, of all sizes and shapes and colours, sprang up 
amidst it ; but there were no flowers — none, save the 
spotted orchids, the impure daughters of mortality, 
who thrive upon the fetid air, and draw their poi- 
sonous brilliancy from corruption. 

It was the home of those who loathe the day. 

For all the dimness, and the evil that it sheltered, 
and the silent menace of the faint, musk-scented air, 
it was not without a dangerous fascination, and a 
sinister beauty of its own. 

Reader, let us not deceive ourselves : the ugliness of 
Sin is an illusory supposition merely. Were it a fact, 
the influence of Evil would be indeed unaccountable, 
— to be attracted by the repulsive, the preachers of 
innate depravity will find it hard to fasten this anomaly 
on poor Human Nature ! No ; the Beautiful, the 
Ideal, for they are One, includes all the opposite 
principles of Life; here, too, all that is, involves 



THE HAUNTED FOREST. 



103 



the existence of its contrary : the Angel of Light 
infers the Prince of Darkness ; the Music of the 
Spheres, the sombrous Harmony of Gehenna; the 
Radiance of the Empyrean, the magnificent Gloom of 
the Abyss ! 

The glamour of the dangerous Forest had fallen on 
Rama. The obscurity weighed on him heavily, yet it 
had a voluptuous charm for him. He was, at once, 
disquieted and entranced. An apprehension of un- 
known Danger warned him not to linger here ; at the 
same time, he was loth to go ; his own misgivings had 
such an absorbing interest for him ! 

All this he did not acknowledge, even to himself. 

" I would fain establish myself in your neighbour- 
hood, O Elephant among Saints ! " he said to Agastya, 
" were it not for my gentle Sita. ... It is true that 
I am here to protect her and the gallant Lakshmana, 
my brother ; what think you, holy man ? My timid 
Princess might perchance be exposed to alarms, for 
this wood of Dandaka is full of terror." 

" It is truly a sombrous dwelling for thy youthful 
bride," answered the Hermit; "and since she has 
abandoned her home to follow thy fortunes, it becomes 
thee to soften for her the hardships of exile. But, at 
two yodj anas' distance, thou wilt find in the heart of 
this gloomy forest a charming spot, abounding in fruit- 
trees and limpid waters, like Nandana, the garden of 
Indra. It is called Panchavati, and near to it flows the 
Godavari, the crystal River. There build thy hermit- 
age, O Hero ! The beauty of this blooming valley 
cannot but enchant thy dreamy Sita, and thou wilt be 



Chap. VII. 



Agastya 
counsels 
Rama to go 
to the vale 
of Pancha- 
vati. 



io4 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VII. 



Jatayu the 
Vulture 

asks to share 

their 

fortzmes. 



within an easy distance of my humble cabin ; so that 
the delight of seeing thee, illustrious offspring of 
Raghu, may jet be mine." 

Accordingly, having described a pradakshina round 
the inestimable Agastya, the two heroes, with the 
lovely Princess of Mithila between them, set off in 
the direction of Panchavati. On the road they were 
met by the kingly Vulture, Jatayu. This distin- 
guished Fowl greeted them courteously, and, turning 
to Rama, said : 

" My son, I was once the friend of your lamented 
father, that late Bull among Kings, Dasaratha." 

When they heard that, the two young princes 
saluted the king of Vultures most affectionately, and 
Slta inquired softly how he did. Now, when he had 
responded to their politeness, Jatayu asked what 
they did in the baleful wood of Dandaka ; and when 
he heard that they intended to take up their abode 
in the vale of Panchavati, he begged to be allowed 
to accompany them. 

" For," said the magnanimous Bird, " this is a 
neighbourhood of bad repute ; the Rakshasas and all 
manner of evil creatures dwell here : I will be your 
faithful companion, and will help you to protect this 
blooming Princess, whose eyes are like two dazzling 
stars !" 

"So be it," answered the Dasarathides, and Slta 
stroked the plumage of the amiable Bird, and said : 

" Thanks, O Pearl among Feathered Creatures." 

So Jatayu went with them to Panchavati; and 
on the way thither, he entertained them by recounting 



LINEAGE OF THE VULTURE JATAYU. 



io5 



his genealogy. It was of the most distinguished order, 
for the grandfather of his grandmother was the illus- 
trious Prajapati, Daksha ; and he himself was the son 
of Garuda, who, you know, was the Monarch of all 
Fowls. The names of his intermediate ancestors have 
so formidable and unpronounceable an appearance, 
that I dare not venture on them; but you will find 
them in the twentieth chapter of the volume Aran- 
yakanda, together with many curious details con- 
cerning their owners, which, for several reasons, I 
forbear to transcribe. 

Agastya had not praised too highly the delicious 
valley of Panchavati. Issuing from the sombrous 
forest, the change of scene was something dazzling ! 
Instead of the massive teak trees, with their lowering 
foliage, the sweet lime and feathery acacia waved their 
fragile boughs, and dipped them into the sunlight, as 
into a stream of harmless fire ; the baubul shook its 
golden fruit, and seemed to laugh in the warm radiance; 
the citron and orange trees unfolded their cloudy 
blossoms, and gave their rich perfumes to the breeze ; 
and, like spirits in the air, the filmy down of the lovely 
cotton tree hovered, or rested on the edge of flowers, 
like snowy shadows who paused there to dream. The 
birds sang here, and the azure butterflies floated lan- 
guidly to and fro, like winged morsels of the blue sky 
itself. On the breast of the Godavan, the crystal 
river, brooded the dreamy lotos ; to whom the waters 
sang, and for whom the reeds along the shore sighed 
constantly ; and from the reeds across the river flashed 
the brilliant dragon-fly, and danced in sudden whirls, 



Ckap. VII. 

The ances- 
tors of 
Jatayti. 



The becntty 
of the valley 
of Pa?icha- 
vatl. 



io6 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VII. 



Lakshmana 
btcilds a 
hewnitage. 



or darted in rapid flights, like one possessed ! In the 
sunlight, along the bank, basked the harmless lizards ; 
and the stupid storks and cranes, turning their backs 
on them, stood on one leg, and pondered how it 
was no creatures came crawling up to them to be 
devoured ? 

The scowling Dandaka encircled this enchanting spot 
on all sides. It was as though the sinister wood had 
paused from its malevolent delight in evil, to sigh, 
and for one moment to regret the light it sought 
to stifle, and the Heaven it willed to hide ; — the 
name of this momentary aspiration heavenward was 
Panchavati ! 

In the heart of this smiling valley Lakshmana, who 
was the most skilful builder, constructed a graceful 
little cabin. It was built of branches, and thatched 
with leaves ; and over it a neem tree extended its kindly 
arms, and whispered something amid its rustling 
foliage, which was surely a blessing. 

When she saw their new dwelling, Sita clapped her 
hands together for joy. 

" It is like a leafy nest !" she cried. " Do you not 
think so, most eminent of Vultures ?" 

To which Jatayu answered with some hesitation : 

" Doubtless you are right, Princess with the liquid 
eyes. But I am a large Bird, and heavy : also my 
experience of nests is confined to the creeks and 
crannies of rocks." 

The Dasarathides, the Princess of Mithila, and the 
amiable Vulture, dwelt in the pretty hermitage for 
three pleasant months. During that time they saw 



THE RAKSHASI DISCOVERS THE HERMITAGE. 



107 



nothing of the sinister inhabitants of the wood of 
Dandaka, and, as was natural, began to lose all appre- 
hension. When the winter commenced, the delicious 
season, in which Surya woos the beloved Prithivi 
with gentleness, rather than ardour, the inestimable 
Fowl, Jatayu, presented himself to Rama, and said : 

" I must leave you for a while, O Tiger of Men ! I 
wish to visit my relations and friends, who dwell 
among the mountains. Be very watchful during my 
absence ; I regret leaving the peerless Vaidehi in the 
heart of this evil Forest ! " 
Rama answered : 

" Be without uneasiness, O magnanimous Bird ! 
This little Sita has our two great hearts to shield her ! 
But when thou hast greeted thy friends and relations, 
do not fail to return to us ; we shall miss thee greatly, 
Jatayu." 

And the gentle Princess, with tears in her large eyes, 
repeated : 

" We shall miss you sadly, Jatayu !" 
Now, it happened on the evening of the same day 
on which the Monarch of Vultures departed, that an 
evil Rakshasi, named Surpanakha, passed by the 
hermitage. The door stood wide open. Surpanakha, 
whose monstrous form towered above the little cabin, 
crouched down on all-fours, and dragging herself along 
the ground into the shadow of the wall, stretched 
forward her hideous head, and looked round into 
the hut. 

The soft light of evening stole in there silently, and 
kissed the faces of its occupants, giving to them the 



Chap. VII. 



The Vulture 
asks leave to 
visit his 
fa7iiily. 



Surpanakha 
peeps iiito 
the hermit- 
age. 



io8 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VII. 



The Rak- 
shasl becomes 
e?iamoured 
of Rama. 



vague radiance one sees in dreams. Sita, was mournful 
because the faithful Bird had left them ; she nestled 
close to her husband, and rested her head upon his 
shoulder. Lakshmana, who was seated opposite them, 
with his back to the door, sought to divert her by his 
talk; but Rama, whose arm encircled the gentle 
Princess, said nothing ; he only looked down fondly on 
her sweet, pensive face and smiled. 

He smiled ; it was the first time Surpanakha had 
seen that ! 

Laughter is common enough among the Rakshasas; 
they are amused by the sight of suffering; and as there 
is plenty of that in the world, they have many occa- 
sions for mirth. They can, too, grin maliciously, and 
curl the lip Avith a scornful sneer ; but to smile is not 
given to these demons. The Smile is the transfiguration 
of the countenance which beholds the Ideal ; the 
Rakshasas have no such vision. It is the radiant Flash 
which follows the meeting of three sentiments — Love, 
Pity, Desire ; these feelings are not much in vogue 
among the Rakshasas. Finally, in the Smile is always 
hidden a memory of past tears ; the Rakshasas have 
no such memories, — for they cannot weep. 

And so the malevolent Surpanakha crouched there, 
riveted by the sight ! It was painful to her as though 
a poisoned arrow had pierced her heart ! Who was 
this Woman of hateful beauty, whose head rested on 
this young Hero's breast, and over whom he leant 
with that serenely tender smile ? His arm around her, 
too, — to draw her nearer to him ! Who was she ? 
For him, she did not stay to question who he 



SURPANAKHA'IS RAGE. 



109 



was ; she knew what he was to her ! She beheld him 
faultless in face and figure, and she loved him,— as 
such depraved creatures love. 

After the first moment it was on Sita, rather than 
on Rama, that her odious gaze rested. There was not 
a dimple of the lovely face, not a curve of the rounded 
figure, which she did not note with her eager, cruel 
eyes. Grovelling there, she dug her long nails into 
the earth, and ground her teeth together, and mut- 
tered : 

" Let me learn the likeness of this Creature who 
has won his love ! Let me learn her off by heart ! " 

After a while, she dragged herself back into the 
shade, and slunk back stealthily into the wood. 
Arrived there, she flung her arms up above her head, 
and gave one ferocious howl, which made the echoes 
ring; then she flung her down upon the grass, and 
sat there — her long sinewy arms clutched round her 
knees, and her chin resting upon them meditatively. 
Surpanakha was of monstrous and repulsive ugli- 
ness ; but at pleasure she could assume another form, 
and disguise herself in what beautiful shape she 
chose. Only this adopted loveliness gave her little 
satisfaction ; she felt the homage paid to it was not 
won by her. She, the hideous, distorted Surpanakha, 
would have had the beautiful young Hero, who had 
awakened this burning passion in her breast, love her 
as she was, and become enamoured of her very ugliness. 

At the same time, she knew this was impossible, 
and that was why there was a bitter rage upon her, 
which she had fled here to hide. 



Chap. VII, 



She is 

jealotcs of 

Sita's 

beauty. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VII. 



TJieRaksha- 
sl assumes 
the form of 
a yo7i7ig 
maiden. 



" No doubt," she croaked as she sat there, " this 
arrogant youth with the god-like form thinks himself 
the equal of Vishnu himself ; and he, too, can deign 
to stoop to nothing, save some faultless Lakshmi ! 
Lakshmi, forsooth ! And who knows, after all, what 
the beauty of this vaunted goddess may be ? Who 
sing her praises ? The gods ! And I ? Am not 
I also lauded by my kindred, the Rakshasas? — 
Beauty? The word makes me mad ! Am not I, 
Surpanakha, more beautiful than this feeble Thing 
he loves, and wastes his melting looks upon ? Well, 
I know his taste ; I, too, can be a timid, shrinking 
maiden, soft and loving and gentle, and of more 
dazzling charm than this vapid Bride of his. Let 
us see if she will stand between my Beloved and 
me!" 

So saying, the Rakshasi sprang to her feet ; and in 
a moment her form was changed, and she became a 
maiden of surpassing beauty. Her height, and the 
shape of her features, were like Sita's ; but her eyes 
had not the softness, nor her gait the purity, of the 
gentle Vaidehi. Nevertheless there was a fire in her 
glance, and a voluptuous grace in her movements 
which were full of enticement. 

Now, in the hermitage they had heard Surpanakha 
shriek ; and Rama and Lakshmana, springing to their 
feet, had rushed to the mouth of the hermitage to 
see from whence it proceeded. They were about to 
return into the hut, to reassure the anxious Sita, when, 
to their amazement, they saw issuing from the wood of 
Dandaka, a young maiden decked in dazzling raiment. 



THE RAKSHASHS CONFESSION OF LOVE. 



She approached them, and fixing on Rama her large 
wild eyes, said to him in gentle tones : 

"0 Stranger, whose eyes are like the sun-god's 
beams! why are you here in this terrible forest? 
Know you not that the Rakshasas dwell here, the 
enemies of Gods and of Heroes? Alas! they devour 
the young warriors they meet in this wood ! They 
have no pity ! Why have you come hither ?" 

Then the noble Raghuide smiled down on her 
gravely. 

"I do not fear the Rakshasas, gentle Star of 
Beauty!" he said; "the Immortals strengthen the 
just warriors, and fight with them against their foes. 
But what doest thou, O fragile maiden, here in these 
regions of terror— thou who hast the grace of my 
lovely Sita, and whose youth and loveliness appeal for 
protection ? Enter our hermitage, O Damsel with the 
liquid eyes ! Lakshmana and I will honour thee as a 
sister, and my loving Princess will cherish and com- 
fort thee? Lay aside all fear; henceforth we will be 
thy loyal guardians, thou desolate little Maiden ! " 

But at the kindly tones of his voice, and the pitiful 
softness of his gaze, the evil heart of the Rakshasi 
glowed with a fiery heat. She drew close to Rama, 
and took his hand, and pressed it against her breast' 
and then to her burning lips. 

" It is not fear that has brought me to thee," she 
said. " I love thee, O Hero with the radiant 'eyes ! 
I am Surpanakha, the terror of all living things ! I 
roam at my ease through the wood of Dandaka ; it is 
my home ; I am happy, I am a Queen there ! But now 



Chap. VII. 



Rama offers 
her shelter 
and protec- 
tion. 



She confesses 
her passion, 
to him. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VII. 



Rama seeks 
to perstiade 
her, he is un- 
worthy her 
notice even. 



the trouble of passion absorbs me ; thy view, 
Youthful Warrior ! has thrilled me with the torments 
of desire ; love me, O my Hero ! Am I not beau- 
tiful ? I am strong, and fearless, and wild. I snatch 
the serpents up in my arms, and twine them around 
my neck, and they shudder with dread ; I buffet the 
tiger, and shake the lion by the mane, and they slink, 
back into the thicket appalled ; I outshriek the winds, 
and roar with the deep-mouthed thunder ; the storm 
is my joyous playmate ! Come with me, O Beloved ! 
Wildly, wildly we will take delight and exult in the 
sombrous forest. My savage humours shall be thy 
sport; and thou shalt conquer my turbulent will by 
thy impassioned caresses ! I am a Bride who befits 
thee more than this vapid Sita ; in a moment I will 
devour her and this paltry fellow, Lakshmana, and 
then we will bound forth into these wilds together, 
as the crooked rays break from the breast of the 
storm-cloud !" 

Her eyes glowed like two living coals, and her 
hand clutched the arm of Rama with an iron clasp. 
He thought : " If I anger her she will assuredly spring 
at me, and I were loth to use violence with one who 
has the form of a woman, and of a marvellously 
beautiful one too ;" so he assumed a conciliatory tone, 
and said : 

" The radiance of thine own beauty has dazzled 
thine eyes, O transplendent Queen of the Rakshasas ! 
I am not worthy of thy favours. I am a man whom 
Destiny has robbed of the delights of youth ! Weep- 
ing has disfigured my countenance, frequent penances 



RAMA'S ANSWER. 



and the hardships of exile have broken my strength, 
and I am weak and emaciated ; my spirit is broken 
also. How couldst thou stoop to so ignoble a con- 
sort ? Besides, O Lady with the peerless form ! 
thou hast a right to demand an entire devotion, and I 
am already bound by the marriage-tie. This Sita has 
gathered the flowers of my heart ; she came to me in 
my spring-tide and gathered all the flowers ! What 
wouldst thou with me, O blooming Surpanakha? The 
fervour of my youth is spent, O Star of Beauty ! The 
Princess of Mithila claimed it of me, and I poured it 
out at her feet! Nay, unrivalled Queen, look around 
thee ; there are many heroes from whom the delights 
of love have been hidden until this hour ; it is on such 
as these thou shouldst turn thine eyes. See my young 
brother, Lakshmana; he is of comely countenance, 
and of god-like stature ; were not such an one more 
befitting thee, than a worn, enfeebled man, as I am?" 
For Rama thought it well to divert her mind from 
that project of devouring Lakshmana. As for Sita, 
she was well hidden in the cabin, and the son of 
Sumitra kept guard before the entrance. 

Then Surpanakha wheeled round suddenly and 
looked at Lakshmana. He stood out of earshot, on 
the other side of the mouth of the hermitage, leaning 
on his mighty bow. 

The sunny insolence of his glance met hers. 
" He is not ill," thought the RakshasI, " and— he 
is Rama's brother ! " 

So she ran up to him, and seizing his hand, looked 
up into his eyes : 

i 



Chap. VII. 



Ravi a bids 
the RakshasI 
give her 
favour to 
Laksh- 
mana. 



H 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VII. 



Lakshrnana 
in jest 
assures Siir- 
ftanakhd 
that she has 
Rama's love. 



The R&k- 
shasl threat- 
ens to devour 
Slid. 



"lam Surpanakha, Queen of the Rakshasas," she 
said. "This wood of Dandaka is mine; love me, 
Warrior with the laughing eyes ! and let us roam 
together in the delicious wilds of the forest ! " 
Now, Lakshmana thought : 

" My brother has handed this ardent RakshasI over 
to me in jest;" so he tossed back his flowing locks 
for joy, and said, with mischievous delight : 

"Sublime Surpanakha, this Elephant among Men 
called Rama has sought to prove thee. From here I 
have watched how thy charms have troubled him with 
the fever of passion ! How could it be otherwise, 
Pearl amongst Rakshasls ? I myself am bewildered 
beyond measure by thy surpassing loveliness. But 
I am merely the servant of Rama, and it is no way 
becoming that thou shouldst stoop to behold me 
even. This magnanimous son of Kausalya is worthy 
to take so bright a Star to his breast ; and doubtless it 
is the supreme nature of his bliss which has troubled 
him. It is true that he has a wife already, but what 
of that? Thou, incomparable Surpanakha, canst 
afford to disdain this ugly, distorted Sita, with her 
projecting teeth and tawny hair ! She can never be 
a rival worth thy consideration." 

But the RakshasI, whom intense vanity led to be- 
lieve his flatteries, turned from him with a savage howl. 
" There shall be no rival between me and Rama ! " 
she screeched. " I will forthwith devour this odious 
Sita, whose repulsive ugliness offends me ! " 

So saying, she darted into the hermitage. In her 
fury she cast by her disguise : her distorted figure, and 



SURPANAKHA CHASED BY LAKSHMANA. 



"5 



monstrous face, and claw-like hands returned, and 
bellowing hoarsely, she rushed towards the affrighted 
Sits. But Lakshmana, horrified at the result of his 
pleasantry, sprang after her, and catching the Monster 
by her streaming hair, cut off her nose and ears with 
his naked sword. 

Then the Rakshasi rushed from the hermitage 
making the echoes ring with her hideous shrieks, and' 
staining the path with her blood, leapt howling through 
the forest Dandaka, uprooting great trees in the 
agony of her fury and pain. 

After a few moments' silence, Rama laid his hand 
on his brother's shoulder, and said : 

"A mortal woman, whom the hand of an enemy 
had disfigured, would move heaven and earth for 
vengeance • how much more, then, a Rakshasi ? This 
Surpanakha, too, is of redoubtable lineage : she has 
for brothers the famous Khara and Dushana • the 
just Vibhishana, who condemns the deeds of the 
Rakshasas; Kumbhakarna, the sleepy giant, who, 
when he awakes, is of more terrible strength than 
Indra; and Ravana, the lord of all Rakshasas, who 
has defeated the whole hosts of Heaven in battle i 
Henceforth, O Brother, we have these formidable 
enemies to deal with !" 

"S° be it!" answered Lakshmana, and tossed his 
nead and laughed. 

But Rama flung his arm around his beloved Sita 
and drew her very close to him. 



i 2 



Chap. VII. 

Lakshmana 
cuts off the 
Rakshasi 's 
nose and 
ears. 



Rama fore~ 
sees the 
e7imity of 
Ravana. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ravana's crime. 



Ch.at. VIII. 

Of tli£ splen- 
dour of 
Ravana. 



Ravana, the King of all the Rakshasas, the enemy 
of gods 'and men, was, we are told in the Ramayana, 
of magnificent stature and presence. Ten heads were 
his, and his twenty eyes were like flashes of beamy 
sunshine ; laughter was in them, and defiant scorn, 
and dogged resolution, and much amorous fire ; but 
no reverence, nor fidelity, nor pity. His colossal 
frame showed traces of his desperate conflict against 
the hosts of heaven ; the thunderbolts had scorched 
him ; Airavata, the monstrous elephant of Indra, had 
torn him with his tusks : and on his broad chest was 
a large dint that the sharp disk of Vishnu had left 
there. He wore necklaces and bracelets of gold, and 
flashing gems ; and round his head was a crown that 
seemed a twisted band of fire ; but these glorious 
wounds were the ornaments he exulted in the most. 

Another constant source of triumph was the tribute 
of horrified terror paid him by all creation. Around 
him the very winds crept with bated breath, or fled 
with howling terror to find a refuge in the shuddering 
sea ! Meeting the scornful derision of his glance, the 



THE MONARCH OF RAKSHASAS. 



17 



sad Heaven hid away its innocent blue with clouds ; 
and the sun, passing over the isle of Lanka, where he 
reigned, paled, and held back his winged messengers 
of light and heat. 

Although he felt such satisfaction at beholding all 
living things thus panic-struck at sight of him, he was 
himself quite ignorant of fear. In the early days of the 
world he had had but one head ; but he stood on it for 
the space often thousand years, and in compensation for 
this eccentric penance received nine other heads, with 
the promise that neither Rishi, nor Yaksha, nor 
Danava, nor Pisacha, nor Gandharva, nor Rakshasa, 
nor God even, should be able to imperil his life. 

He omitted to include man in the list ; it appeared 
to him needless to claim immunity from so contemp- 
tible a creature. 

One day this splendid Ravana, the Scourge of the 
three Worlds, 1 was reclining luxuriously on his sump- 
tuous couch, surrounded by the most distinguished 
chiefs among the Rakshasas. The light was softened 
for him, and many flowers had sighed forth their 
odorous souls to make the air delicious. On either 
side of the languid demon, two young maidens, whose 
misty garments enhanced their charms rather than 
veiled the graceful outlines of their forms, waved to 
and fro punkas, whose handles were of dazzling gold. 
Gems sparkled in their hair, and veiled fire in their 
wild, liquid eyes \ and as they swayed them near and 
back, with a dreamy rhythmical measure, it seemed an 

1 " The three Worlds," i.e. Earth, Air, and Fire, — water and 
air were regarded as modifications of one and the same element. 



Chap. VIII. 



Ravana 
gives himself 
to luxurious 
ease. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



Surpanakha 
rzishes into 
her brotJiers 
presence. 



Ravana bids 
her say who 
has tktis 
maltreated 
her. 



unspoken song of amorous languor, to which the 
undulating punkas whispered an accompaniment. 

For some time Ravana had reclined thus, his nu- 
merous eyes half closed, in an ecstasy of voluptuous 
enjoyment, when he was disturbed by a stir and con- 
fusion among his obsequious courtiers. Looking up 
in angry astonishment, he perceived his sister, the 
vindictive Surpanakha, her garments torn and soiled, 
her tawny hair streaming, wild and dishevelled, and 
her face bespattered with blood. She forced her way 
through the startled Rakshasas, and rushing forward 
to the monarch's feet smote her breast, and sought to 
speak; but, choked by her violent emotion, fell on 
her face, and lay there, mouthing and struggling in 
vain for breath. 

Then the dreadful Lord of the Rakshasas leapt to 
his feet, and snatching Surpanakha up from off the 
ground, shouted, his eyes flushing crimson with rage : 

" Speak ! Who has dared molest the sister of 
Ravana, the victor of the deathless gods ? Dost hear 
me ? I command thee, speak ! " 

Then Surpanakha broke into a hoarse, derisive 
laugh. 

" Who has dared ? " she said ; and stood before 
him, clutching her heart with both her hands, as 
though she feared for very fury it might burst, ere 
she had spoken. " It is a pretty question, truly ! In 
this pleasant town of Lanka, wrapped round by the 
blue sea, for all the world like a bright star in the 
centre of the azure sky, tales of daring no doubt are 
rare ! Outrage, and Battle, and Slaughter, — the words 



SURPANAKHA BIDS RAVANA AVENGE HER. 



19 



are coarse, too coarse ! You have musicians to play 
to you, rather, eh, Brother? And girls to fan you. 
On my word, they might be divine Apsaras, they are 
of so dainty a mould, and their raiment is so scanty ; 
and perfumes in the air too ! Bah ! they are sickly to 
my nostrils ; but then I come from the reeking battle- 
field ! And the light,— oh the fierce, blazing sun 
scorches the skin; it is too fiery by half; it must be 
toned down, mellowed tenderly, to suit languid eyes. 
... By the stupendous gates of Hell, I think I shall 
go mad ! Brother, whilst you stretch your limbs on 
softly cushioned ottomans, like some mawkish saint 
tasting celestial beatitude, the name of Rakshasa is 
made the laughing-stock of the three worlds! In 
the country of Janasthana, the crows feast on the 
corpses of our warriors ! The Anchorites and pious 
Hermits wander, at their ease, through the wood of 
Dandaka, and laugh at the memory of its terrors. 
Khara is dead; and Dushana, and Trisiras, the 
Hero with the three heads : in the whole universe, 
perchance, you are the only living creature who has 
not heard of their death ! They sought to avenge my 
wrongs, and to destroy the audacious Warrior who 
dared to mutilate me thus ; and they perished in this 
just cause; they, and fourteen thousand warriors. 
And now, perchance, you will ask once more, who 
has dared do this ? Oh, not the armies of the death- 
less gods, not the Gandharvas, nor the Rishis, nor 
the Danavas, but a man/ One Rama, an exiled 
youth, now dwelling with his brother and his bride, 
in the vale of PanchavatI ! By the Eternal Heavens, 



Chap. VIII. 

Surpanakha 
tells ker 
story. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VIII. 



Ravana 
asks the 
rank and 
power of his 
adversary. 



the very worms are rising from the mud, to spit upon 
the name of Rakshasa ! " 

Here Ravana put out a hand, commanding silence. 
Even Surpanakha was awed, as she looked at him. 
His shaggy brows were drawn down over his eyes ; 
and his large, white teeth gnawed the nether lip. 
Pondering grimly, he still kept one hand extended, 
only the fingers of it clenched themselves uncon- 
sciously, so that he seemed to menace the universe 
with his fist. 

Presently he dashed his monstrous hand down 
upon the couch ; and the golden frame was shivered, 
and jewels sprang from it, like glistening tears of 
pain ! 

"Who is this Rama?" he asked, with intense 
slowness of utterance, and his low, deep voice was 
like the mutterings which precede the tempest. "How 
great is his strength? What weapons has he? To 
what race does he belong? And why does he dwell 
in the vale of Panchavati ? " 

Then Surpanakha answered : 

" He is the son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya ; 
his arms are long, and his chest is large as the mighty 
Indra's; in his eyes is a tranquil radiance, which 
makes one shrink. His garment is of the fibre of 
bark, and he has a black antelope skin thrown across 
his shoulders. He has a large bow, chased with gold ; 
one does not see him bend it, nor adjust his arrows ; 
but his shafts rush through the air like winged flames, 
and beat down his enemies, as the hail destroys the 
harvest. He has with him a young brother, named 



SHE TELLS HLM OF THE BEAUT LFUL SlTA. 



Lakshmana; the insolence of this youth is unparalleled ; 
he laughs in the thick of the fight, and deals out 
gibes with death. Like Rama, he has one thought, 
one care, one vulnerable spot, where those who loathe 
him may deal him a more painful blow than death ! 
His honour, and his brother's love, are bound up in 
the woman who dwells with them — Slta, the youthful 
wife of Rama. 

"The loveliness of this Slta, . . . Heavens! the 
execrable loveliness of this Slta! When I think of 
it— of the little pouting mouth, and smooth dimpled 
cheeks, and soft appealing eyes— by the Thirteen 
Gods ! my fingers tremble to claw and tear this hateful 
beauty, and make it more hideous even than my 
gashed, distorted face :— But I know a better revenge 
than that — a more sweetly excruciating revenge than 
that ! Brother, these Heroes have a charmed life, 
otherwise they had not stood before Khara and 
Doushana; and even were it possible to slay them, 
death were too poor a compensation for these injuries. 
Death ? it is over too soon by half! A man may be 
content to kill his enemy; a Rakshasa prefers to 
torture him ! 

" Were it not a fine thing, Demon with the dreadful 
scowl, to have the Heart of this grand Rama here 
— thus, between your finger and thumb to toy with 
It, and make It the contemptible Plaything of your 
careless hours ; while he went, desolate, through the 
three worlds, wearing his soul away in a vain search ; 
famished with longing ; shamed by unutterable doubts; 
tortured by the impotence of his wrath ? You under- 



Chap. VIII. 



Surpanakha 
suggests a 
scheme for 
vengeance. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



Rava-Tia 
lauglis. 



stand me ? Carry off this Sita I Would you wipe 
off the stain from our race ; would you avenge your 
brothers massacred, your sister mutilated, your war- 
riors given to feed the crows; would you drag your 
foes through the undying torments of Tartarus ; would 
you break Rama's spirit, and strangle the laughter of 
Lakshmana ? Carry off this Sita ! Nay, if pride, and 
revenge, and hate are nought, would you win a 
youthful bride, more radiant than Sri 1 herself, and 
whose graceful charms as far surpass those of these 
half-naked damsels here, as the gazelle's the lynx's ? 
Then, for your very lust's sake, carry off this beautiful, 
accursed Sita. ! " 

Once more the Rakshasi flung herself at her 
brother's feet; but this time he laid his immense 
hand caressingly on her tangled head, and said: 

" It sufficeth, Surpanakha ■ " and then he laughed. 

That was very terrible. Even the Rakshasas ex- 
changed appalled glances ; the wind caught up the 
sound, and rushed through the wastes of space wailing : 

" Ravana, the Scourge of the three Worlds, has 
laughed! There will be cause of weeping for all 
living creatures soon ! " 

Then the remorseless Demon ordered his chariot. 
It was of the most refined gold, and it had many 
advantages besides ; for it floated as easily through 
the air as it rolled on firm ground, and it required 
no coursers to draw it. Just for the sake of appear- 
ance, two Pisachas, creatures with the bodies of 
asses and heads of vampires, were harnessed to it ; 
1 Sri or Lakshmi— Goddess of Beauty. 



THE MONARCH OF RAKSHASAS ABROAD. 



123 



they were useful, too, in case of any warlike encounter. 
Standing upright in this car, the Monarch of all the 
Rakshasas shook the reins he held, and shouted 
tauntingly to the air : 

" Vainly dost thou hide thyself from sight ; I feel 
thee trembling round me ! Thou, who bursteth out 
a-weeping if a chill touch thee, and sobbest like a 
child if thou beest stirred— thou Coward Air— I com- 
mand thee put thy amorphous wings beneath my 
chariot, and bear me upwards, close to the Home of 
Stars." 

Reluctantly, and with many stifled sighs, the fright- 
ened Air crept beneath his chariot, and, uplifting the 
evil Rakshasa to the gates of the blue world, held 
him there suspended. 

Then leaning over, his elbow resting on the side 
of the car, and his ten chins upon his hand, the 
Fiend looked down. He saw the white fluttering 
clouds, where the Immortals lure their best Beloved 
Ones that they may talk to them of love ; he saw 
the filmy vapours in which the bright Apsaras wrap 
them, when they float earthward to bewilder some 
foolish human heart; and far beneath he saw the 
Sea, with its wrinkled, careworn face, hiding away 
with miserly care its pearls and glistening treasure, 
and lamenting its great poverty in a whining, mono- 
tonous voice ; he saw the old grim Mountains, with 
the rivers flowing down their rugged cheeks, as 
though they were weeping at having grown so far 
beyond the reach of the flowers' perfumed sighs ; he 
saw, — more marvels than I have time to tell, or you, 



Chap. VIII. 



Rdvaua 
soars aloft 
in his magic 
car. 



[24 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



The Rak- 
skasa sees 
the hermit- 
age of Mar- 
itcha, and 
descends 
thither. 



Reader, the patience to care to hear. But, among other 
things, his eyes rested on a monstrous nyagrodha 
tree, which the exploit of Garuda had rendered 
famous. For one day that this Monarch of all Birds, 
having a tortoise and an elephant in his beak, oh 
whom he was minded to make his dinner, had 
perched on this tree, behold, a gigantic branch gave 
way beneath him, and fell smashing down to earth ! 
This was a disastrous event ; for the branch was a 
hundred yojanas, that is rather more than a hundred 
of our miles, in length ; and so a great many hermit- 
ages were broken down by it. However, the amiable 
Fowl hastened to repair as much as possible the mis- 
chief he had done ; he picked up the branch forth- 
with, and with it, and the elephant and tortoise still 
in his beak, flew off to the country of the Nishadas. 
Here he chose a solid mountain for resting-place, 
and finished the repast that had been so inopportunely 
disturbed. Afterwards he made use of the large 
branch to ravage the country of Nishada. Its in- 
habitants were a bad set of people, who had allied 
themselves with the Rakshasas. 

Well, near to this monster nyagrodha tree, Ravana 
beheld the hermitage of the Rakshasa Maritcha — a: 
Demon of much vigour and daring, but who had lately 
assumed the garb of a penitent, and embraced an 
ascetic life, that his strength might be redoubled. 
Swooping downward, as a kite who perceives its 
prey, the Lord of Rakshasas sprang from his chariot 
to the ground, close to the abode of Maritcha. The 
recluse hastened forth to greet him, and invited him 



RA VANA CLAIMS ASSISTANCE OF MARITCHA. 



125 



to enter, and prayed him courteously to name his 
errand. 

" How can I serve you, Bull amongst Malevolent 
Beings ? " he said " You are my sovereign ; demand 
of me what you will ! " 

Then Ravana thanked him, and answered : 

" There has come into the vale of PanchavatI a 
pestilent fellow, Rama by name, who has been sent 
into exile by his father. As in his own country, so 
in the forest of Dandaka he has rendered himself 
obnoxious by his bloodthirsty atrocities. He has cut 
off the nose and ears of my sister Siirpanakha; he 
has murdered my brothers Khara and Dushana ; and 
Trisiras, the Hero with the three heads ; in fact, there 
is no end to the story of his crimes ! This accursed 
Rama has a youthful bride, Sita, the Princess of 
Mithila. They say that Sri herself is of less radiant 
beauty. It is not befitting so scurrilous a fellow 
should possess this Pearl amongst women. The ac- 
count of her unusual loveliness has filled me with a 
fierce unrest ; there is a fever on me, and a heaviness 
of heart nought can remove till I behold this Sita ! 
My glory and strength, and the tribute of terror paid 
me by all living, are nought if I cannot possess this 
Sita. Even my thirst for revenge, and my hatred of 
this upstart, who dares to beard the Rakshasas, are 
nought compared to my unruly passion ; yet they, 
too, urge me to this deed. Maritcha, help me to 
rob Rama of this incomparable Star of Beauty ! " 

But when he heard this request, the judicious 
Demon shook his head. 



Chap. VIII. 



He tells the 
object of his 
visit, and 
claims the 
aid of the 
recluse. 



126 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VIII. 

Marltcha 
•warns 
Rdvana of 
the virtue 
and valotir 
of Rama. 



" You have been deceived, O Victor of the death- 
less gods ! " he said. " This Rama is no rebellious 
son; his- banishment is a tribute of respect paid to 
the memory of Dasaratha, who unwittingly gave his 
word that for fourteen years this young prince should 
inhabit the woods. I have heard it said that his exile 
in these forests was ordered by the Supreme Ruler of 
Life, that the world might be cleansed of such beings 
as you and I, O Rakshasa ! If this be so, let not 
Destiny compel us blindly to measure our strength 
with his. You know me of old, O Master ! I was 
not a Demon of a timorous disposition, when it was 
my pleasure to roam through the forest Dandaka, 
feeding on human flesh, and wresting from the lions 
and tigers their prey. It was my delight to afflict the 
blameless anchorites ; to frighten the more timid, and 
to excite the fiery to hurl after me profane blasphemies, 
which might rob them of the fruits of their 
penitence. Especially I loved to torment the saint 
Visvamitra, for I knew that in his youth he was of an 
irascible temper, and I hoped to provoke him to some 
outburst of unholy wrath. But the Brahman, unwilling 
to give me the chance of ruffling his equanimity, 
appealed to Dasaratha, and claimed the protection of 
Rama, then a youth who had not counted sixteen 
summers. At the head of a troop of unruly Demons 
I came to the Saint's Hermitage at the hour of sacri- 
fice ; we burst into scornful laughter at sight of the 
boy warrior, and began to sing the cradle song with 
which mothers rock their babes to sleep. But paying 
no heed to our derision, the youthful Rama drew his 



THE RAKSHASA SCOFFS AT DESTINY. 



127 



bow, and like lightning flashes a stream of fatal shafts 
brought death among us ! I alone of all the company 
escaped with life; but I was sore wounded, and 
bounding high into the air in agony, a gust of wind 
took me and threw me on the shores of Lanka, more 
dead than living. No sooner did I recover from my 
cruel wound than I espoused this solitary life, hoping 
by my self-macerations to escape from this invincible 
Hero. Since I have heard that Rama dwells in these 
forests my days are full of terror. Each bush and 
thicket seems to shelter him; and behind every 
tree my fancy shows me a youth clad in the fibre 
of bark, with a black antelope skin thrown across 
his shoulders. I know, Ravana, that when I look 
on Rama again my hour will have come, and 
death will beat me down ! O Monarch of the 
Rakshasas ! I fear me, Destiny has involved you in 
this doom." 

Then the Demon with the ten heads laughed 
aloud. 

" Most excellent Maritcha," he said soothingly, " I 
perceive thy sojourn in these wilds has somewhat 
damped thy spirit. It is but natural. Truly, night in 
these dark forests must have an utter gloom. It is a 
scene for sad forebodings, when the trees throw their 
long shadows down, and one sees them writhe and 
twist about, like tortured spirits, chained to the 
knotted roots ! It is an hour for dread presentiments 
to breed a nameless Terror, when flying foxes, like 
abortive offsprings of a monstrous Night, flap their 
blurred, distorted wings ; and when, across each open 



Chap. VIII. 



Ravana 
laughs at the 
Hermit's 
fears. 



128 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



Maritcha 
seeks to con- 
vince Ra- 
vana of his 
danger. 



path, the noiseless reptiles twist their crooked way, 
leaving a slimy track behind ; whilst worms and 
meanest insects wrap them in pale, unearthly fire, 
that flickers and expires fitfully. Alone, amid such 
scenes, the Thoughts no fellow-being shares, grow too 
stupendous for the Brain that conceived them. Either 
they burst the casket of the Soul, so that it has no 
longer any concentrated power, but merely the general 
consciousness of being shared by all nature • or if, as 
in thy case, noble Demon, the mind be of too strong a 
tone to be driven mad, they obscure the intellect, they 
cannot obliterate, and lead it to give consistency to 
shadows, and being to empty words, such as ' Destiny ' 
and ' Doom ' and many of the same worth. Thy 
solitary existence has made thee too poetical, most 
excellent Maritcha ! " 

Then, very gravely, the Recluse led Ravana to the 
mouth of the cavern, and pointed upwards with his 
hand, to where the moon, putting aside the filmy mist, 
came forth to make Night beautiful. 

" Think you," he said, " that yonder planet is con- 
scious of her full mission ; of how she rules the tides of 
ocean and of air, of the check she puts on evil, and the 
encouragement she gives to innocence ? Not the less is 
it, that she may perform this w r ork, that she shines there 
and is beautiful. Nay, raise not your eyes so high. 
Behold this flow r er at your feet ; is it there chiefly for 
itself, think you ? Doubtless, if it could speak, it would 
answer, 'Yes,' and if questioned further on its complex 
organization, would reply, 'This care was taken that 
my life might be sustained and nourished ! ' Yet we 



MARITCHA'S COUNSELS. 



129 



know the flower is there, rather that its juices may 
nourish more life, and that its very breath may 
render the air more pure and healthful. And you, 
Ravana, think you that you are an isolated being' 
independent of this great Law of Life ? Monarch of 
all the Rakshasas ! it may be that the purpose for 
which the Master of Gods and men allowed Demons 
to plague, and tempt, and sadden His creatures 
is at an end. It may be that there is no longer 
any place for such as you and I in this God's 
World ! In the early stage of the life of man, it 
was needful to show him the loathsome form of Sin • 
now, perchance, is it rather the Divine Will to keep 
ever in his sight the ineffable loveliness of Virtue; 
fixing his eyes no longer on the yawning Gulf, whence 
issue flames, it may be that he should rather, hence- 
forth, raise his eyes to the still Heavens, where smile 
the stars ! Comrade, our day is waning. This Rama, 
who is to encourage man to lead a noble life for 
honour's sake, and not for fear's, is doubtless sent 
here as our Destroyer. O Demon with the flaming 
eyes, do not despise my counsels ! If die we must 
let not our own act hasten on our doom." 

Again Ravana laughed ; but this time in grievous 
wrath. 

"I was rash just now," he said, "when I thought 
thy sanity had resisted the attacks of loneliness * I 
came not here to ask thy counsels, but to claim 'thy 
service. Now here is a question I would have thee 
solve : whether it were better for thee to do what I 
require, and to perish, possibly, by Rama's hand 



Chap. VIII. 

The Recluse 
seeks to dis- 
suade 
Ravana 
froitt injur- 
ing Rama. 



Ravana 
threatens 
to slay 
Marltcha 
if he re/uses 
to help him. 



13° 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



With 7iumy 
misgivings 
Maritcha 
consents. 



or to refuse the aid I demand, and be slain by me, 
here, and in this moment? Thou knowest, Rak- 
shasa, I use no empty threats ! Come, what is thy 
decision?" 

" I will follow you," answered the Recluse, sadly ; 
"you are my sovereign, let me die with you, rather 
than by your hand ! " 

And so, mournfully enough, Maritcha rose, and 
flinging round him his valkala, prepared to follow the 
infatuated Demon. Having reduced the other to 
obedience, Ravana's good-humour returned. 

" Come," he exclaimed joyously, " thou faithful 
Maritcha ! Let us lose no time. That silvery moon, 
of whom thou didst, just now, so sagely describe the 
mission, beckons us with her long shimmering fingers : 
' I will guide you,' she says, ' to the home of this my 
best loved Star ! ' " 

" May it please the deathless Gods," muttered the 
other, " that she lead us not rather to where lie the 
uncleansed ashes of Khara, Dushana, and Trisiras." 

" What sayest thou ? " inquired Ravana ; " the fate of 
these heroes renders thee uneasy ? Nay, most noble 
Maritcha, thou hast too low an opinion of thine own 
power. I should know somewhat of the acquirements 
of Khara and Dushana, for they were my brethren. 
I tell thee they were feeble children compared to 
thee ! And as for Trisiras ; what though he had three 
heads? In all of them, was there the half of the 
prudence, craft, and resolution stored in thy brains ? 
Come, Bull amongst Rakshasas, the way to escape 
their fate is to avoid their errors. This is no occasion 



SITJ'S thoughts about the dawn. 



for blind rage, nor senseless daring; skill will serve 
us more than strength, and coolness than courage ; we 
who possess cunning as well as daring can scarce fa)l 
m such an enterprise. The great object to be gained 
is the separation of Rama and Lakshmana; that must 
be thy work. Thou must devise some means to lure 
one of these warriors from the hermitage, and during 
his absence I will carry off the Vaidehi. Thy fleetness 
of foot will secure thy escape • for me,— my mind is 
too firmly set on this adventure not to ensure me 
triumph ! " 

As he spoke, the two Demons passed into the 
blackness of the deeper forest; and as they trod the 
sombrous aisles, carpeted with the spoils of many a 
dead summer, the sinister Worshippers of night came 
forth to glare on them. When the two swarthy Shades 
had passed, they looked the one on the other, asking • 
; On what ill errand is the Lord of Rakshasas 
abroad ? " 

On the morrow, when the young Dawn was kissing 
through the filmy mists, wooing them to linger,— whis- 
pering, " I, too, am fond of dreams ! "—the 'fanciful 
Bride of Rama stood at the door of the hermitage 
Perchance she was too fanciful ! It seemed to her 
that the young Morning rose ever, decked in tender 
hues, that were too dreamy to be bright, and glisten- 
ing over with sweet dew, that trembled between smiles 
and tears ; and that she was so hopeful, and so able 
to forget the night she sprang from, and so brave to 
run on to meet the night that awaited her, because 
she was beloved ! And then the gentle little Sita won- 



Chap. VIII. 



Sita stands 
in the early 
mor?iing at 
the e7itrancr 
of the 
hermitage. 



K 2 



132 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



The beauti- 
ful Gazelle. 



Slid asks 
Rama to 
capture it 
for her. 



dered who it was loved the Morning ?— whether the 
pretty clouds, who flushed beneath her glance ; or the 
birds, who sang to her ; or the plants, who flung back 
their petals at her touch ; or the blue heavens, that 
cradled her; or the fair earth, in whose arms she 
seemed to play? 

Thus, very full of wonder, the gentle Vaidehi 
watched the gradual awakening of day. 

Now whilst she stood in the doorway, glancing forth 
from the wood of Dandaka, and traversing the open 
glade, passed several times, forward and back, a 
marvellous Gazelle, the like of which was never seen 
by mortal eyes. Its coat seemed of burnished gold ; 
and round its neck was a wreath of lilies, shimmering 
with brightest water; round its small horns strings 
of large pearls were twined ; and in its forehead was 
a flashing jewel that seemed a living coal of fire! 
Pausing a second before the cabin, it looked at 
Slta, and its large, startled eyes seemed to show that 
it had half a mind to seek a shelter near her. Then 
it bounded into the thicket ; but only to return once 
more— and once more to fix its wistful gaze on the 
young Princess. 

" See, Rama ! " cried the delighted Slta, clapping 
her hands for joy. " Oh the beautiful Gazelle, with 
the lotus wreath and the golden fur! Well have 
we chosen this forest Dandaka for our home, since 
there dwell in it such marvellous creatures ! Rama, 
Light of my soul ! had I the bright skin of this radiant 
beast to cover my couch of leaves, were I not like 
a Queen, though dwelling in these savage woods? 



THE GAZELLE WLTH GOLDEN FUR. 



^33 



Thy Queen, my Rama ! I would recline on it, and 
dream of thee; and thou, too, wouldst stretch 
thee beside me on my divan of golden fur. I fear 
me the desire is evil ; but if it be not very evil, O 
thou Dear One, capture for me this Gazelle ! " 

At that, Rama took down his large bow from the 
wall. 

" Thy desire is not very evil, Little One ! " he said, 
smiling, "and thou shalt have this golden covering 
for thy rude couch of leaves ! " 

"Nay, but, Rama," faltered the gentle Princess, 
whose heart already relented, "if the pretty beast 
flee not too rapidly, capture it rather living, that it 
may be our playmate. It shall be the wonder of 
Ayodhya, when we return, that we possess a Gazelle 
with a coat of burnished gold ! " 

Now Lakshmana had been in the inner part of 
the hermitage; but, hearing these words, he came 
forward. 

" A Gazelle with a coat of burnished gold ! " he 
exclaimed ; " from my boyhood it has been my delight 
to roam in the forest, but never saw I such a creature 
as that ! Rama, this is some device the Rakshasas 
have imagined to mislead our simple little Princess 
here." 

"I am not so very simple, Lakshmana," pouted 
Sita, prettily. 

" Nay," said Rama, passing his arm tenderly round 
her neck. " I, too, saw this wonderful Gazelle ; and 
if it be indeed some evil spirit in disguise, I shall 
be doing a good deed in destroying it. In any case 



Chap. VIII. 



Lakshmana 
warns them 
that this is 
some device 
of the Rak- 
shasas. 



134 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VIII 



Rama 
starts in 
pursuit of 
the Gazelle, 
and leaves 
Sit a in his 
brother s 
care. 



Rama 

wounds the 
Gazelle, and 
it is trans- 
formed into 
Maritcha, 
who screams 
for help in a 
voice like 
Rama's. 



this is the first boon my little Bride has craved, and 
it shall not be refused her. Lakshmana, do not 
thou leave the hermitage during my absence; I 
trust my Treasure to thee, for I know thy loyalty and 
courage." 

So saying, the Hero bounded forth in pursuit of the 
radiant Gazelle. Oh the chase it led him ! — luring 
him on by its slackened pace for a few steps, then 
leaping onwards into the tangled thicket, and hiding 
there; and as he sought for it, springing up close 
beside him, and shooting by in a new direction, like 
a sudden rush of wind ! He was already far in the 
dangerous Forest, when, perplexed by its caprices, 
and provoked at being led so far, he renounced his 
first intention of capturing the Gazelle living, that it 
might be the playmate of his youthful bride. 

" No innocent creature," he thought, " were capable 
of these innumerable wiles." 

So he drew his bow — the miraculous weapon given 
him long since by the saint Visvamitra — and the un- 
erring dart sped from it, and struck the radiant beast 
between the horns. But lo ! as it staggered and fell 
head foremost, its form was changed, and the Rak- 
shasa Maritcha, bleeding from a mortal wound, lay 
stretched upon the grass ! 

Dying, the Demon raised him on one arm, and 
shrieking in a voice that copied the tones of Rama, 
" Help, Lakshmana ! Help ! help ! " he fell back, 
and expired. 

Now, the Rakshasa's treacherous shriek went ring- 
ing through the wood of Dandaka, and reached the 



"SAVE MY RAMA ! " 



135 



hermitage, where Lakshmana and Sita were awaiting 
the return of Rama. The startled Princess sprang to 
her feet at once. 

" Dost thou not hear, Lakshmana ? He calls thee. 
Alas ! he is in peril ! Oh fly to him • do not lose an 
instant ! " 

But Lakshmana answered her with a smile : 

"Fear nothing, Sister of my heart! This is not 
Rama's voice ; some evil creature has stolen his accents 
to lure me from thy side. It is not Rama's wont to 
call on me for aid ! " 

But Sita beat her small hands together in her dis- 
tress and anger. 

" Do I not know the voice of my Beloved ? " she 
asked. "Is there a Being in the three worlds who 
could deceive me — his Love ? Lakshmana, art thou 
mad, — or cowardly, — or what, — that thou sittest there 
unmoved when thy brother calls to thee ? O Heavens ! 
that I should have to urge thee thus! For pity's 
sake, — for very shame's sake, — begone! How dar'st 
thou linger when he calls? How dar'st thou, I 
say ? Here is thy bow,-— Oh he stirs not ! Eternal 
Brahm, this man will not stir ! What can I, can I, 
do ? Alas ! my Love will die for want of help ! — Thou 
dear Lakshmana, — pity me ! " 

Here she flung her on her knees, and, her face 
all bathed in tears, seized Lakshmana's hand, and 
sobbed : 

" Brother, dear faithful Brother, go to him ! For- 
give me, dear Lakshmana, if aught I said seemed 
harsh ; forgive me — and save my Rama ! " 



Chap. VIII. 



Sita hearing 
the screai7i, 
bids Laksh- 
mana run 
to his bro- 
ther's aid. 



136 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



Lakshmana 
replies that 
this is not 
Rama's 
voice, and 
that he will 
not leave 
Slid alone. 



Sita accuses 
him of 
treachery 
to Rama. 



Then Lakshmana clasped her two little hands lov- 
ingly. 

" Thy Rama has no need that I should save him, 
Sweet One ! " he said. " There is no hero with a 
strength like his ; and he has on his side the sinless 
Gods, who will not let him perish ere his large des- 
tiny be accomplished. But thou, my Pretty One, 
mayst not be left, in this solitary spot with no pro- 
tector. The Gods, who made woman feeble, gave her 
beauty that man might love to shelter her with his 
strength ; but there is so much evil in the world, that 
what should serve to compensate for her weakness, is 
but a fresh danger ; because thou art so very lovely, 
Sita, thou hast more need of guardianship than 
other women. And therefore came I into these 
woods. Rama needs not my protection; shall I 
abandon thee, when for th»y sake I am here ? " 

Then Sita. drew herself up to her full height, and 
looked at him with flashing eyes. 

" For my sake thou art here ? " she said with bitter 
scorn; "not for Rama's, but for mine? Oh I thank 
thee ! It is a pity thy devotion should be wasted 
on another's wife ! Thy brother's too ; so much 
nobler a man than thou, — so much more precious to 
me than thou couldst ever be, that if he die to-night 
I would rather cling to his cold corpse than touch 
thee with my hand ; I would rather dwell with him in 
the dim world of Yama than sit by thee on the most 
gorgeous throne in the pleasant town of Ayodhya ! 
Oh thou wilt gain little by this treachery ! Thou 
thinkest, doubtless, ' If my brother die, this Sita shall 



LAKSHMANA YIELDS TO SITA' S PRAYER. 



137 



be mine ? ' Nay, thou shalt have nought of Sita, save 
her lifeless frame ; her soul shall fly from thy loathed 
presence, and find a shelter still near her true Lord ! " 

Then, stung by her reproaches, the Warrior leapt to 
his feet, and stood before her also scornful and stern. 

" It is woman's nature to be unjust," he said coldly. 
" I will not plead with you, that I have ever honoured 
you as my brother's wife ; and that it as such, as dear 
in the sight of him whom I revere and love, that I 
have willed to be your watchful guardian. Think 
what you will of me, — your suspicions are a shame to 
you ; they cannot reach me even ! But since my 
care is loathsome, I will leave you ; as Rama's wife I 
owe obedience to you ; I will go hence in search of 
him. Meanwhile, if any mischief befall you, thank 
your own wilfulness, ungrateful woman ! " 

So he turned away from her in wrath. 

But ere he reached the door, the impulsive War- 
rior's heart relented, and he came back to her, and 
said, very tenderly : 

" Be not uneasy, little Sister ! Thy Rama will soon 
be here ; I am going now to seek him. Oh I beseech 
thee keep close within the hermitage during my 
absence ! I am not angry with thee, Sita ! I know 
it was thy love made thee unjust to me in words — only 
in words ; thou knowest my thought of thee is reve- 
rent. Farewell, my Princess ! If in this atrocious 
forest there be any good Divinities,'* oh may they guard 
thee, Sita! My heart misgives me at leaving thee 
alone . . . ." 

To which she answered : 



Chap. VIII. 



Stung by her 
reproaches, 
Lakshmana 
consents to 
seek for 
Rama. 



oS 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 



Sita goes to 
the mouth of 
the hermit- 
age to see if 
they are 



" If Rama come not back, I will not live ; I will 
hang myself on the large neem-tree, or drown myself 
in the deep river, or throw myself down some hideous 
precipice, or leap into some devouring fire. I will 
not live without my Lord ! " 

And so, to satisfy her, Lakshmana wandered forth 
in search of Rama. At first he walked slowly, 
hoping that, finding herself alone for the first time 
in this solitary hut, the timid Vaidehi might call 
him to return; but no such summons came, so he 
quickened his pace, thinking, " I shall not be absent 
long." 

Left to herself, Sita began, little by little, to reflect 
on her alarms, and to assure herself they were un- 
founded. 

" Lakshmana was right," she thought, with fond 
pride. "What living creature could conquer Rama? 
It could not have been he who cried for help." 

And then she began to smile as she thought of how 
she had treated Lakshmana. 

" Poor fellow," she thought, "he is so generous he 
will never reproach me. But I will be, oh so loving 
to him when he returns !" 

And so she dried her eyes, and prepared herself to 
meet the two young warriors with her most sunny 
smiles. But, ah me ! — they did not come. The time 
seemed very long, — and everything was so still ; the 
old neem-tree even did not murmur among his 
boughs ; he seemed to be waiting too, — and not to 
have the heart to talk at all. She went to the en- 
trance of the hermitage, and stood there, shading 



THE FALSE PILGRIM. 



139 



her eyes with her hand ; it was very strange they 
should be so long ! 

As she stood gazing wistfully towards the wood, 
and feeling, oh so terribly alone, issued from the 
forest an old Man clad in the garments of a Hermit, 
with a pitcher in one hand, and in the other a stick, 
on which he leant. He seemed very feeble and 
weary, — this poor old Man. He approached the Prin- 
cess of Mithila, and bowing to her very courteously, 
said : 

" O Lady, whose dazzling raiment and whose peer- 
less beauty seem that of the divine Lakshmi herself, 
if thy heart be as kind as thy countenance is lovely, 
let me rest a while in this pretty hermitage; I am 
footsore and weary." 

Now Sita thought, " This is doubtless some holy 
Pilgrim who comes from the abode of the Saint 
Agastya ; " so she said courteously : 

"Enter and repose yourself, Holy Man," and 
brought him water to wash his feet, and hastened to 
set before him what viands she had, and bade him 
freely satisfy his hunger. 

" My husband and his brother will be here anon," 
she said; "they will be delighted to find you here, 
worthy Pilgrim, for they love to discourse with the 
pious anchorites who journey through this wood." 

" Thou art marvellously beautiful ! " exclaimed the 
Pilgrim, who had partaken of nothing, and who had 
not since his entrance removed his gaze from the 
countenance of the youthful Princess. Sita was some- 
what startled. 



Chap. VIII. 



A n old Pil- 
grim issues 
front the 
wood, iv ho 
claims hos- 
pitality. 



Sita invites 
the Pilgrim 
to rest and 
satisfy his 
hunger. 



140 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 

Sit a is per- 
plexed by his 
strange 
-words and 



In ans7ver 
to his ques- 
tions she 
tells her 
name, and 
asks iuIw he 
may be. 



" How strangely bright and piercing his eyes are 
for a Penitent's ! " she thought : — and then she re- 
proached herself. " It is not the fault of this Holy 
Man if there be an evil light in his eyes," she said 
to herself; "a man may, too, be quite a Saint, and 
yet have a bad habit of staring." 

Nevertheless, she was not quite at her ease; and 
though she chatted away to her visitor, that he might 
not imagine he was unwelcome there, she kept as far 
away from him as possible. 

" Who art thou, Maiden with the faultless form ? " 
asked the Stranger presently, in the midst of her little 
courteous speeches. " Never have I beheld so won- 
drous a vision of beauty ! Assuredly thou art no 
mortal woman ? Yet hast thou the voluptuous charms 
of a child of earth, combined with the ethereal 
grace of a daughter of the air ! Whence art thou, 
Lady whose eyes kindle the fierce flames of desire ? 
How cam'st thou hither ? Know'st thou not that this 
wood of Dandaka is the home of savage beasts of 
prey ? So bright a loveliness as thine should rather 
grace some monarch's court ! " 

More and more troubled by his ardent gaze, the 
Princess of Mithila answered simply : 

" I am the wife of Rama, the Dasarathide ; they 
call me Sita. Obedient to his father's word, my Lord 
dwells here in exile ; I am happy here, though I know 
this is an evil wood, for I love my Lord, and know no 
fear when he is by. — And you, O Hermit with the 
bold, keen eyes, — who are you ? And oh — wherefore 
are you come?" 



RAVANA' S APPEAL. 



141 



Then the Stranger sprang to his feet. 

" I am the son of Visravas !" he shouted ; "Ravana, 
he that is called the Scourge of the three Worlds ! — I 
am here because I love thee, Slta ! " 

And then he seized the shrinking Vaidehi by the 
two hands. 

"Is it a small thing to have the love of such an 
One ? " he cried. " Oh think of it !— I,— the King of 
all the Rakshasas, the Terror of the Universe, before 
whose face fled Indra, King of Heaven, and the 
armies of the Deathless Gods, — am here, in this poor 
garb, because thou, O little fragile Child, hast thrown 
trouble into my soul ! Slta, there is an ecstasy in a 
love like mine, which Brahma himself could not give 
to thee ! Behold, I stand erect beneath an Eternal 
Curse, — Remorse and Pity touch me not, — Hope can- 
not reach me, — all Fear is centred in myself ! My soul 
dwells lonely in an atmosphere of high gloom, and 
there is no emotion left it, — save the stormy delights 
of passion : accept, thou frail and gentle Flower, the 
ardour of this flame, which defies all Law and limit : 
rule, with thy low voice and thy small weak hand, 
this Rebel, who laughs the Will of Highest Heaven 
to scorn ! Be the one cherished Darling — amid a 
hated Universe ; the worshipped Bride — of the 
Enemy of all else that lives ! Step up beside me, 
Child with the appealing eyes ! Make thou the 
Chaos of this Heart thy home — and let me show 
thee how the Damned can love ! " 

He glowed on her with all his eyes as he spoke, 
and his voice had the sadness of intense desire. 



Chap. VIII. 

Ravana 
flings by his 
disguise and 
tells his love 
for her. 



[ 4 2 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. VIII. 



He seeks to 
conquer Jier 
terror by 
promising 
her a life of 
pleaszcre. 



He depre- 
ciates Rama 
and says he 
is an exile 
for lack of 
courage. 



But Sita, half dead with terror, shrank away from 
him to the ground, and lay there, like a flower of the 
prairie whom the hot wind has seared. Then Ravana 
changed his tone ; he stooped down to her, and whis- 
pered softly : 

"Why tremblest thou so, Pretty One? I mean 
thee good, not harm. This forest is too dreary, and 
too rough a home for thee ; there is a pleasant island, 
— the fairest isle in all the rippled sea, — it is called 
Lanka ; I have a gorgeous palace there, which shall 
be thine ; thou shalt have raiment, and jewels, and 
young maidens to wait on thee, and all that makes 
the heart of woman glad ! As for this Rama, — oh thou 
shalt be spared all self-reproach ! I will carry thee 
hence by force ; by such a loving, careful force that 
it shall not harm thee, little One, although it let 
thee struggle to be virtuous. And then amidst the 
joys I will surround thee with, thou shalt soon forget 
this Rama. Why should his memory cling to thee ? 
What has he given thee in exchange for thy young 
love ? A poor hovel in this wilderness ; a couch of 
leaves ; the fare of a Penitent ; a life of solitude ; and 
this to thee, whose beauty alone makes her a Queen ! 
And how despicable a man is he ! Women of high 
rank have ever held cowardice to be the most repul- 
sive vice ; in what esteem canst thou hold this Rama, 
who without a struggle, or a word even, has let a 
woman rob him of his birthright ; has obeyed, with 
the abject submission of a beaten cur, the voice that 
sent him into exile, and let another usurp his crown, 
without so much as uttering a menace or remon- 



SIT A WARNS RA VAN A. 



143 



strance ? Slta, I am not made of such a servile stuff ; 
the blood is red and hot that thrills my veins. If I 
know not mercy, at least I know not fear ; power is 
mine, and wealth, and learning ; — am not I a nobler 
consort than this Rama ? " 

Then Slta, her great love conquering her fear, stood 
up before him without trembling. 

" Is the viper, that crawls upon his belly through 
the dust, more noble than the kingly eagle, who soars 
up close to the golden sun, because he has a fatal 
venom in his tongue ? Is the savage beast, who tears 
and destroys his prey, more powerful than Vishnu, the 
kindly God in whose sight life is very precious ? 
Then art thou more noble and more fearless than my 
Rama ! As for the courage of my Rama, it is not of 
the same stuff as thine ; to obey is more courageous 
than to resist, if virtue issue the command. But thou, 
vile Rakshasa, shall have dire proof whether my Lord 
be strong or no ! Hide thee, in thy pleasant Isle of 
Lanka, if thou lovest life ; touch not the bride of 
Rama, whom the Gods have armed and strengthened, 
or thy fate is sealed ! " 

At that Ravana laughed scornfully, and said : 

" Scarcely, O large-eyed Lady ! The Gods were 
put to shame by me ; the Gandharvas, and Danavas, 
and Nagas, and Pisachas helped them, and yet I 
triumphed ! Shall a man conquer me ? " 

Once more all hope died out of Sita's heart. 

" Alas ! " she wept, " if thou beest indeed so power- 
ful, how canst thou stoop to this dishonour? " 

" Because I love thee," he answered. — And then he 



Chap. VIII. 



Slta tells the 
Demon how 
Rama's cou 
rage differs 
from his 
own. 



144 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. VIII. 

Ravana 
snatches up 
Slid, and 
rusJies off 
iijiih her in 
his chariot. 



Sita's fare- 
well. 



assumed his own gigantic stature, and snatching up 
the trembling Sita, shouted for his Chariot, Pushpaka. 
And lo, it came, flaming through the air, like a cloud 
ablaze with lightning ; and he leapt into it, and laughed 
in joyous triumph ! 

Then the daylight faded ; despair seized the hearts 
of all creatures. 

" Shall evil triumph ? " they wept, — and looked up 
to the dimmed heavens. 

Then, struggling in the Demon's arms, and turning 
her tear-stained face away from him, towards the 
hermitage, Sita cried out wofully : 

" Farewell, my cherished Home, that was like a 
leafy nest ! Farewell, old neem-tree, with the spreading 
boughs ! Sob, sob among thy spreading boughs ! Oh 
wail the story of my wrongs into my Rama's ears ! 

" Farewell, O pleasant vale of Panchavati, where 
flows the languid Godavari, amid its reeds and 
sedges ! Wake up, O languid Godavari ! Weep, weep 
among thy reeds and sedges ; moan plaintively the 
story of my grief into my Rama's ears ! 

"Farewell, O country of the Janasthana ! Farewell, 
O sombre Forest, amid whose leaves and blossoms 
the little Birds twitter, and nestle side by side ! O 
little Birds who nestle side by side, flutter very near 
to Rama, and sing, oh sing to him my message of 
undying love ! " 

And thus, her voice much broken by its load of 
tears, she bade to all farewell. And through the 
valley swept a sudden sigh that seemed to answer her, 
"Alas!— Farewell!" 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE DEATH OF JATAYU. 



The heavy leaves of the giant teak-trees were 
whitening in the growing dimness j the shadows were 
lengthening, and the tears of even were saturating the 
trailing ferns, when Rama turned away from the 
slaughtered Rakshasa, and sought to retrace his steps. 
The excitement and heat of the chase were over : 
— there was a chill at his heart, too. 

" The shade hangs heavy in this wood of Dan- 
daka," he said, and shivered. 

As he pushed his way through the long damp grass, 
rose up behind him a wild, unearthly Shriek, that 
made the echoes scream back for fear ! He knew it 
was the jackal, screeching its hideous greeting to the 
twilight ■ yet it intensified his forebodings, and sent 
him rushing onwards, wrung with fresh terror. 

Presently he saw Lakshmana bounding towards 
him through the wood. At that his heart failed him 
utterly. 

" What means this ? " he cried to the young Warrior 
from far. " Did I not leave my gentle Sita in thy 
charge ? What dost thou here, Lakshmana ? " 

L 



Chap. IX. 



Rama's 
forebodings. 



146 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IX. 



Meeting 
Lakshmana 
Ramas 
fears are 
confirmed. 



The traces 
of the 
struggle. 



" Thy Sita sent me," answered the other, breath- 
lessly ; " she thought she heard thee cry for succour, 
and would not let me stay; she called me 'Coward ' 
and ' Traitor,' when I sought to reason with her ! 
And so, perforce, I came. Could I bear to be called 
false to thee, O Brother ? " 

Then Rama, his voice full of tears, cried out 
aloud : 

" This is some scheme of vengeance, and we are 
undone ! It was a Rakshasa who decoyed me from 
my home, and he cried to thee in a voice like 
mine : — Alas ! an evil Destiny has brought me to 
this Wood ! Brother, if Sita greet me not on my 
return, my life is over ! " 

Side by side, and in anxious silence, the brothers 
hurried on through the darkening forest. As they 
came forth into the open vale, Rama, darting by 
Lakshmana, rushed on to the little hermitage ; where 
the torn earth before the entrance, and the confusion 
of all within, bore witness to a recent struggle. 

The Dasarathide stood upright a moment in his 
desolate home : 

"Lost ! " he cried out at length. "First, — my Home, 
my Throne, my Father ! Now, — my Love ! This is 
too much ; let me die ! " 

He flung himself, face downwards, to the earth, 
and lay there motionless. 

Kneeling down beside him, the large tears brim- 
ming in his eyes, Lakshmana called to him eagerly : 

" Rama ! Rama ! this thing cannot be ! Thy 
Love has not suffered ill ! What crime hast thou 



RAMA'S DESPAIR. 



147 



committed? Was not Sita innocent? The Gods 
are not dead in heaven ; I tell thee it is not possible ! 
Perchance thy Beloved has wandered forth into the 
wood, — or perchance she does but hide from us in 
jest. Call to her ! call to her ! " 

Then Rama, his face distraught with grief, sprang 
to his feet, and rushed to the door of the hennitage. 

" Sita ! " he cried, " my large-eyed, gentle Sita ! if 
thou hast willed to prove my love, — if thou art hiding 
from us,— let the agony of my fear suffice. Come to 
me, my Love, — come to me ! " 

He stood there, both his arms held wide, as though 
half hoping she might run forward to his embrace. 
The country of the Janasthana lay very still around 
him ; only, above his head, the old neem-tree shivered 
in every leafy spray, and seemed to wring its hands 
for pity. 

Slowly that gleam of hope quite faded, and his arms 
fell down nerveless by his sides. 

" Nay, Brother," implored Lakshmana, " yield not 
to despair ; she is not gone ; our Sita has not left us ! 
Perchance in our absence she has gone to sport with 
the little fawns, that know her voice, and come round 
her when she calls ; or she has strolled down to the 
river's brink to wreathe herself a crown of lotus 
flowers ; or to dream by the slowly-drifting waters." 

Rama shook his head despondently; yet he let 
his brother lead him where he would. Into the 
grove, where the asokas fluttered their delicate blos- 
soms, and seemed to try to speak; then, forth into 
the open glade once more, under the ebony and the 
L 2 



Chap. IX. 



Rama 
vainly calls 
on Slid. 



They seek 
for her in 
vain. 



148 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IX. 



jRdma's 

7nomentary 

weakness. 



sandal trees, whose dark foliage cast mournful sha-^ 
dows ; then down by the shores of the Godavari, 
where the' flags drooped, and the rushes folded up 
their flowers ; and where the flowing water asked the 
breeze wherefore it was so sad, and drifted on, sad- 
dened also by the answer ; — here, and through every 
nook and glen in the Vale of Panchavati, they 
hunted for any trace of Sita; they called to her, — 
and received no answer ; but each time they breathed 
her name the shadows deepened, and the light grew 
more pale, and all nature seemed to weep ! 

At length Rama paused, and flung his bow down 
upon the grass — and clenched his fist — in wrath ! 

" Do the Gods mock me ? " he said. " Is the pain 
of man a pleasant jest to the Eternal Powers who 
look down from Heaven ? or, as thou sayest, are the 
Gods dead, — and has a blind Destiny, ignorant of 
justice, become the ruler of our fates ? Was not I 
virtuous ? Was not my Sita innocent ? What means 
this evil fortune which pursues me, and culminates 
with this crowning misery? Why am I, who have 
made Truth and Purity and Kindliness my rule of 
life, thus hated by the Gods ? It were best to change 
my conduct, since this is the meed Heaven keeps to 
pay the righteous ! " 

" Ay," returned the impetuous Lakshmana, with 
flashing eyes, " let the Gods look to it ! Let them 
restore our Sita, or every living thing in earth and 
heaven shall feel our rage ! We will throw moderation 
and pity to the winds, and exact vengeance where 
justice is refused us ! " ■ ■ 



1 EVEN SO— MY SOUL SHALL TRIUMPH! 



149 



For a while Rama stood there in moody silence. 
The black clouds of anger and despair strove hard 
in the inner Heaven of his soul ; but the Sun that 
tabernacled there, the luminous Conscience which no 
guilt had dimmed, burst through them at length, and 
triumphed. 

"I was wrong!" he said, and dashed a spray of 
softened tears from his eyes ; " Virtue is a service man 
owes himself, and though there were no Heaven, nor 
any God to rule the world, it were not less the binding 
law of life. It is man's privilege to know the Right 
and follow it. Betray and persecute me, Brother 
Men ! Pour out your rage on me, O malignant 
Devils ! Smile, or watch my agony with cold disdain, 
ye blissful Gods ! Earth, Hell, and Heaven, combine 
your might to crush me, — I will still hold fast by this 
Inheritance ! My strength is nothing — time can shake 
and cripple it ; my youth is transient — already grief 
has withered up my days ; my heart, — alas ! it seems 
well-nigh broken now ! Anguish may crush it utterly, 
and life may fail ; but even so, my Soul, that has not 
tripped, shall triumph, and dying, give the lie to 
soul-less Destiny, that dares to boast itself Man's 
Master ! " 

" It may be, Brother," said Lakshmana thoughtfully, 
" that it is for the ruin of the Rakshasas, and to give 
to man a pattern of high endurance, that this grief has 
befallen thee. Meanwhile, O Brother ! let us be up 
and doing. There is no refuge in the three worlds 
for the wretch who has carried off thy Bride ! The 
trees and mountains, and the clouds and stars, and 



Chap. IX. 



The Hero 
sit3d?tes his 
ivrathful 
passion. 



Lakshmana 
seeks to en- 

couragehhn. 



W 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. IX. 



Rama puts 
himself 
under his 
brother s 
guidance. 



every living thing that Vishnu thrills, shall turn traitor 
to him, and show us his retreat ! Sita sprang from 
the heart of the kindly Mother-Earth; and thou, 
Rama, in whom reigns the love of universal nature, 
hast conquered the devotion both of simple animals 
and half-conscious plants, and even of the wild ele- 
ments, whom patience and justice alone can tame. 
The Universe is with us, Rama ! Shall Brahm, who 
gave the Universe its laws, fight against us ? Let us 
take courage, and shake off this torpid grief ! " 

Then Rama seized his brother's hand. 

"What shall we do, O Tiger of Men?" he cried. 
" I will be guided by thee ! Say, how shall my Sita, 
who is like a Daughter of the Gods, be given back 
to me?" 

Lakshmana answered : 

" Let us recommence our search. To the east of 
this country of the Janasthana is a mountain that 
has caverns and grottoes, whither resort the Gand- 
harvas and Kinnaras, the dwellers in the ethereal 
Blue. One hears sweet music there by night, as 
though the mountain were singing softly to itself. It 
is hard to discover the entrance to these caverns, for 
the celestial Visitants love mystery. Perchance the 
Robber who has stolen thy Bride has fled to one of 
these for shelter." 

Then, seizing his great and terrible bow, Rama 
followed Lakshmana to the eastern side of the 
valley. 

" O Mountain ! " he cried out in his bitter grief, 
" is thy heart quite made of stone ? There are inno- 



THEY FIND THE BIRD JATAYU. 



I5i 



cent flowers fluttering on thy breast, and grasses, and 
thou givest shelter to harmless little beetles ; surely 
thy heart is not all of stone ? Thou seemest very sad 
thyself when the grey clouds cling round thee, and 
thy rivers are swollen with too many tears. Pity me, 
old Mountain ! If my Love lies hidden in any of thy 
grots or caverns, fling back the creeping plants, or roll 
away the heavy stones that block the entrance, and 
keep her from my arms ! Give her back to me, old 
Mountain ! — by memory of the passion which tore 
thee from the bosom of the earth, — give my Love 
back to me ! " 

As he spoke, the large Mountain, as though in 
answer to his prayer, showed to him on its fertile 
slope the impress of a huge Foot, that could not have 
been that of mortal man. Near to it was a garland 
of flowers, that Rama quickly stooped and gathered 
up, and pressed with fond emotion to his lips ; — he 
had seen Slta twine them thus, and wreathe them in 
her hair ! 

But now Lakshmana, who had advanced a little, 
shouted to him to come. Rushing forward, Rama 
beheld a broken chariot of war, and two Pisachas, 
harnessed to it, lying there dead. Down by the 
chariot — his feathers ruffled, his large wings drooping, 
his once-piercing eyes bloodshot and dim, lay the 
King of Vultures, Jatayu ! 

Then Rama cried out in fury : 

" This malignant Fowl, who called himself the 
friend of the splendid King Dasaratha, is probably a 
Rakshasa in disguise ! He it is who has devoured 



Chap. IX. 



The Foot- 
print that 
was not of 
mortal man. 



They f 7 id 
the bird 
Jatayu. 



152 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IX. 

They suspect 
him till he 
says he has 
give7i his life 
for Slid. 



Rama begs 
hisforgive- 



Jatayu tells 
how he met 
Havana. 



my Sita ! Behold him in a hideous sleep, having 
gorged my large-eyed Princess ! " 

Then Jatayu turned his mild gaze reproachfully 
on Rama. 

" I am not sleeping," he answered ; " I shall soon 
die— Ravana, the Lord of Rakshasas, has slain me 
because I sought to rescue thy Love from his 
clutch ! " 

At that, the Dasarathide flung himself on his knees 
beside the magnanimous Vulture. 

" O Jatayu ! O my Friend ! " he cried, " forgive 
me. Sorrow has well-nigh maddened me, or I had 
not conceived the thought ! And it was in the ser- 
vice of my Sita thou didst receive these cruel hurts ? 
Ravana has robbed me of her, thou sayest ? O Best 
of Feathered Creatures ! pity my despair, and tell me 
all thou knowest ! " 

Then, supported in the Hero's arms, the King of 
Vultures strove hard with the feebleness of approach- 
ing death, and answered in a faint yet clear voice : 

" I was slumbering on the highest peak of the 
Mount Vindhya, when the wind came trembling to 
me bearing a piteous cry, ' Save me, save me, Rama !' 
I knew the voice of the Princess with the starlike 
eyes,— and I sprang up — and flapped my wings to 
assure myself I did not dream,— and threw myself 
forth upon the air. As I hung there, pondering on 
what course to pursue, lo, I beheld Pushpaka, the 
war-chariot of Ravana, the Enemy of Gods and Men, 
—and behold the dreadful Fiend clasped in his arms 
the youthful Vaidehi, the Flower amongst beautiful 



THE DEVOTION OF JATAYU. 



:53 



Women. She held her little hands out to me, and 
screamed, ' Thou good Jatayu, rescue me ! ' Then I 
rushed after the chariot, and flung myself before it, and 
shouted to the Demon, who reigns at Lanka, ' Halt ! — if 
thou hast any love for life,— release this woman !' But 
the Rakshasa answered me in scorn : ' I have much 
love for life, thou aged Bird '—and yet shall I not, 
at thy puissant word, release this Sita ! ' I said, ' It 
is true I am an aged Bird, but I am still vigorous and 
brave ; if thou do not restore his Bride to Kama, I will 
slay thee here, for the Gods will lend me strength ! ' 
Then Ravana, his ten faces aflame with passion, 
shouted, ' Out of my path, Meddler ! ' and hurled at 
me a shower of javelins. But I sprang upwards, and 
then swooped down upon him with all my force, and 
as I am a very heavy Bird, my weight broke down 
the car Pushpaka, and, like two fearful thunderbolts 
flaming against each other, we tumbled through the 
air, and this great mountain shivered when we smote 
the earth ! Then Ravana, bounding to his feet, at 
once snatched up the Vaidehi, and, borne up by two 
dusky wings, rushed off towards Lanka. ' Farewell, 
venerable Fowl ! ' he shouted mockingly. ' Thou 
hast proved thy friendship to this fellow Rama. Now 
forbear to tire thyself, for I must use a speed scarce 
suited for such ancient wings as thine ! ' But I darted 
after him, and, pouncing on the Demon's back, dug 
my sharp claws into his naked shoulders, and tore 
his flowing hair, and pecked and bit him till his 
twenty eyes were blinded with his blood ! Then, 
howling hideously with rage and pain, the Rakshasa 



Chap. IX. 



How he 
battled with 
Ravana. 



154 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. IX. 



How the 
Demon gave 
J at ay u his 
death- 
"wound. 



The He7'oes 
grieve for 
tlie good 
Vulture. 



swooped down to earth again ; and, — swiftly laying 
down the fainting Slta, — drew forth his mighty sword, 
the same that conquered Indra in other days. As 
in my impetuous fury I rushed on him, he dealt me a 
blow with it that staggered me ; and then he battered 
me about with it until sense failed, and flames of 
blood seemed flashing before my eyes. — Yet, even so, 
I heard the plaintive voice of Slta, and through the 
death mist, that made all vague, I knew that, as the 
Demon bore her off, she stretched her pitying little 
hands towards me, and wept, ' Alas, Jatayu ! — my 
poor loving friend, Jatayu ! ' " 

The dying Vulture gasped here for breath, and 
over his eyes the film thickened ; he essayed to flap 
his poor wings once more, but he could not; they 
hung powerless by his side. 

" It is well," he said in broken accents, " that I 
should die now — when the day is fading — for I have 
loved the sunlight : its splendour never made me 
blink ; — it was pleasant when the fiery beams thrilled 
through my ruffled plumage : it was pleasant, too, 
to float on the bosom of the air, and to skim across 
the open country, and to hover above the forests 
and listen how the trees sighed — because they could 
not fly. My wings are broken now; I feel they 
could not stretch them in the air, — there would not 
be any joy in life. I am glad to die — with the waning 
light!" 

Then Rama stroked fondly the plumage of the 
noble Bird. Lakshmana said : 

"Thou shalt not die, O Bull amongst Feathered 



HO W J A TA YU DIED. 



155 



Creatures ! I will tend thee, and bear thee always in 
my arms, or across my shoulders ! Thou shalt yet 
see the Princess with the starlike eyes restored to the 
love of Rama 1 " 

" I know she will be restored to Rama," returned 
Jatayu feebly, "and I die content. I could not 
live with broken wings. Turn me, I pray you, 
Heroes, towards the west. Is there still a streak of 
sunlight in the sky ? " 

"There is yet one last, faint gleam," answered 
Rama. 

" One last faint gleam," he faltered. " Gold— that 
flushes to crimson ; crimson — that deepens to purple, 
and fades, — fades, — fades to sombre grey ..." 

He sank back into Lakshmana's arms, and passed 
away — with the sunlight ! 

Then Rama, gazing down with reverent tenderness 
on the large Vulture, said : 

"Ofa certainty, Son of Sumitra ! there are amongst 
the animals many good and generous beings, and even 
many heroes. For my part I do not doubt that this 
compassionate Bird, who gave his life for my sake, will 
be admitted into Paradise I" 1 

And so they erected a funeral pile in honour of the 
King of Vultures ; and when the fire had reduced 
his corpse to ashes, they cleansed them by the cere- 
mony of lustrous waters. Then Rama recited over 
the remains of the magnanimous Bird the same 
prayers that holy Brahmans use at the obsequies of 
honourable men. 

1 Translated literally. 



Chap. IX. 



The Bird 

dies. 



The Dasara- 
t hides give 
him funeral 

honours. 



CHAPTER X. 

RAMA ALLIES HIMSELF WITH THE ORANG-OUTANG, 
SUGRIVA. 



Chap. X. 



The melan- 
choly Ape. 



There was a River that sang all day long, and even 
through the night. In every one of its ripples a 
water nymph seemed weeping: there were never 
heard such mournful songs as those it chanted to 
itself. It was called the River Pampa, and close to 
it was the wood of Rishyamuka ; so close that the 
banks were quite lined with flowers, who had crept 
out from under the shade of the trees, and stolen 
near to listen ; for the music of these waters was as 
sweet as it was sorrowful. 

Now there dwelt, in exile, in the wood of Rishya- 
muka, a Prince of the Simian tribe, the august 
Orang-outang, Sugriva. He had ever been an Ape 
of a sentimental and mournful disposition ; but, since 
his banishment, melancholy had become a passion 
with him. He did not like to see the trees in blos- 
som ; the sunlight vexed him greatly, — so did the song 
of birds ; he looked on flowers as most frivolous 
beings : but he loved to wander by the shores of the 
River Pampa ; because, though the sunbeams kissed 



HOW SUGRIVA JUDGED HUMANITY. 



157 



it, and the lotus flowers lay upon its breast, and the 
kokila fluttered near, and sought to teach it a less 
mournful strain, it refused to be comforted— and wept 
always — day and night ! 

One day that the lachrymose Sugrlva was seated 
On a grassy knoll that overlooked the River, — his chin 
resting on his knees, and his eyes half-closed, as is 
the way with thoughtful Apes, — he saw approaching on 
the opposite bank two young. Men of kingly stature, 
clad in the garb of anchorites, yet carrying bows, and 
with well-filled quivers hanging from their girdles. 
Filled with apprehension, Sugrlva sprang to his feet, 
and summoned by a shrill cry the four loyal followers 
who shared his exile— Nala, Nila, Tara, and Hanu- 
man, Son of the Wind, the noblest among quadru- 
manous creatures. Gathering round their Lord, these 
four heroic Apes watched gravely his anxious coun- 
tenance ; waiting, in respectful silence, till he should 
inform them of his pleasure. 

" As a rule, Men are cruel and malicious," he said 
at length. "They are, too, especially jealous of the 
superiority of the Simian tribe : it were wise to put 
ourselves out of the reach of these young Warriors' 
arrows ! " 

And with that, he sprang from the hillock into 
cover of the wood ; and his followers, their sensitive 
natures at once infected by the terror of their chief, 
leapt after him ; shrilly screaming, breaking down 
trees, and bounding over thickets, and making the 
wood of Rishyamuka tremble by the impetuosity of 
their flight. They paused only on the northern slope 



Chap. X. 



The Monkey 
takes fright 
at sight of 
two War- 
riors. 



His fol- 
lowers flee 

■with him 
a safe dis- 
tance. 



r 5 S 



THE ILIAD OP THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 

They take 
counsel, a?id 
Hamimarl 
advises Con- 
fidence* 



Reluctantly 

Sugriva lets 

Hanuman 

interrogate 

the 

Strangers. 



of the Mount Malaya. Staying there to take breath, 
they sat round in a circle, and rested their chins 
upon their knees,— and reflected on what was to be 
done next. 

" It seems to me, Indra amongst Monkeys ! " said 
the Son of the Wind to Sugriva, "that we have 
been wrong in fleeing from these warriors. Exiles, 
we have nothing to tempt the covetous, nor to 
awaken the jealousy of the envious ; on the other 
hand, we stand grievously in need of friendship. 
These two Heroes might prove valuable allies, were 
we to treat them with courtesy, and offer them hos- 
pitality during their sojourn in this wood." 

But life, which had not dealt kindly with Sugriva, 
had taught him to see people, as well as circum- 
stances, in their blackest colours* 

"Thou art too rash, Hanuman," he rejoined, dis- 
trustfully. " I tell thee, men are a malicious race ! 
They have all manner of ingenious devices for slaying 
from a distance those with whom they dare not risk 
a struggle. If we let these warriors approach us, we 
put our lives in their power; and who shall assure us 
that they are not sent hither by our enemy, the ran- 
corous Balin, Monarch of all the Simian tribes ? " 

"That will I!" answered Hanuman. "Give me 
permission, O Ape with the powerful countenance, 
and I will straightway accost these strangers, and 
discover what motives bring them to the wood of 
Rishyamuka." 

" If thou choosest thus to imperil thy life, do so," 
returned Sugriva ; " but remember it is thy own im- 



HANUMAN AS A RELIGIOUS MENDICANT. 



159 



petuous rashness, and no command of mine, which 
takes thee into this danger," 

Upon that, the fearless Son of the Wind wrapped 
himself in a sombre valkala, 1 that had been given him 
by a holy recluse, to whom he once rendered a service, 
and, assuming the staid gait and stooping carriage of a 
mendicant friar, approached the two Warriors, who had 
just climbed the river's bank, and whose mighty limbs 
were gleaming with the bright waters of the River. 

"Who are you, Heroes, whose limbs are like 
young fir-trees?" asked the Monkey in a courteous 
tone. "Are you of the Sons of Men, or of the 
Company of Celestial Warriors, who do battle for the 
Storm God, Indra ? What cause has brought you to 
this wood ? If your errand be as worthy as your 
gallant bearing would seem to testify, I will be your 
guide, lest this wood of Rishyamuka entangle you 
in its network of winding paths." 

Then one of the young Warriors smiled, to see the 
Orang-outang in the garb of a religious mendicant ; 
but the other, the taller of the two, whom the majesty 
of an ineffable sorrow seemed to raise above sight of 
the ludicrous, said gravely : 

"It is courteously offered ; I pray thee, answer for 
me, Lakshmana, for my voice is choked, and speech 
is cruel to me." 

Then Lakshmana, in whose eyes, spite of all his 
anxiety and distress, a gleam of laughter still lingered, 
answered : 

"We are much beholden to thee, 

1 A garment made of bark. 



magnanimous 



Chap. X. 



The Ape 
puts 07i a 
friar's cloak. 



He offers his 
services to 
the Heroes. 



i6o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 

Lakshmana 

says that 
they seek 
Stigrtva. 



Hanuman 
brings them 
to his 
master. 



Saint ! We are the sons of Dasaratha, King of 
Ayodhya; this Hero is Rama, who is known in 
the three worlds as the Friend of living creatures. 
We are here because an evil Rakshasa has carried oft 
the cherished Bride of this King of Men, my Brother ; 
and Danu, the son of Lakshmi, counselled us to 
come to Rishyamuka; 'For,' said he, 'there dwells 
there an eminent Orang-outang, by name Sugriva, 
who will give you tidings of your lovely Sita.' " 

Then Hanuman threw on one side his disguise, 
and laughed for joy. 

"This same Sugriva is my Lord and Sovereign," 
he said, "and he will assuredly give you all the 
assistance in his power, for he also is an exile, who 
has lost the wife he loved. Mount on my back, O 
Kings among Men ! and I will straightway bring you 
into the presence of him you seek." 

So Rama and Lakshmana climbed on to the back 
of the generous Monkey, and he brought them to the 
Mount Malaya ; where Sugriva and the other Apes 
sat in a circle, — their chins upon their knees. 

When Hanuman had introduced the Strangers, and 
told their errand, the Prince among Simians shook 
them warmly by the hand ; and, moved by the sor- 
rowful countenance of Rama, he went farther, and 
embraced him lovingly. And, in his turn, Rama, the ' 
noblest of the Sons of Men, embraced the exiled 
Ape ! — When the Son of the Wind saw that, he 
made a Fire, according to the Brahmanical rites, 
by rubbing together tw T o pieces of wood; and then 
these two Princes — Rama, the Dasarathide, and 



TILE LITTLE GOLDEN ANKLET 



[61 



Sugriva, the melancholy Orang-outang— performed the 
ceremony of a Pradakshina round the Fire, to cele- 
brate their newly-formed friendship. 

" Tell me, O magnanimous Sugriva ! " pleaded the 
Dasarathide, when he had thus complied with the 
exigencies of etiquette. " I was sent to thee by one 
Danu; he told me thou couldst give me tidings of 
my Beloved? Thou hast heard how she was stolen 
from me ? My Friend, I know not what has befallen 
my Love with the dark, soft eyes! I know not 
whither they have carried her ; and I wander, groping 
through the world,— blinded by a great darkness; 
knowing not where to seek for the Star my heart 
has lost ! If thou canst give me news of her, or of 
my enemy's hiding-place, tell me, O tender-hearted 
Monkey ! I starve for tidings of her ! " 

Then, shedding copious tears, the mournful Ape 
answered : 

" Alas ! my Rama, I have no comforting news to 
give thee ;— though I have beyond a doubt seen thy 
Beloved. But three days since, I was wandering by 
the shores of the River Pampa ; it was early morning, 
and the mists hung heavy on the stream • presently, 
as though a great cloud had obscured the heavens, 
darkness fell on the River and on me ; I looked up, 
and beheld Ravana, the King of Rakshasas,' sailing 
overhead ; and struggling in his swarthy arms, a lovely 
Daughter of Man, whose garments seemed woven 
out of sunbeams. She screamed to me, but the dis- 
tance kept back her words ; only, as the Demon sped 
on with her, fell at my feet a little golden Anklet, and 

M 



Chap. X. 



Rama begs 
Sugriva to 
tell him all 

he knows. 



Sugriva 

tells !i<m> he 
saw A dziait t 
carrying off' 
a da?rg .ter 
of mutt. 



l62 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. X. 



Ramarecog 
jiizes the 
Scarf and 
A nklet of 
Sita. 



a Scarf of pale, soft azure. Then I, at sight of these 
mournful tokens, wept long and sore over the hard 
fate of the beautiful Child of Man,— and the River 
Pampa wept with me! I have treasured up this 
Scarf, and this little Anklet of gold, and from time 
to time I look at them, and bedew them with my 
tears. They are stored in my cavern, near at hand ; 
I will fetch them, that thou may est judge if they 
belong to thy Love with the dark, soft eyes." 

Then Sugriva ran and fetched the Scarf and the 
golden Anklet, and at sight of them Rama cried out, 
"Alas, my Queen !" — and held out both his> hands for 
them,— and kissed them, as though they had been 
living things. 

"Ah!" he cried, "little Scarf! that art so soft, 
that art so blue, — that hast been wound across my 
Sita's throat, and round her waist, and that hast felt 
her heart beat, and her bosom swell, — is there nothing 
in all thy folds and fringes to speak one thought of 
comfort to me? Thy brightness is not dimmed, 
although my life has lost its radiance ! It is strange 
— harshly, bitterly strange ! Love, Happiness, Faith, — 
a poor piece of stuff outlives them all ! Man's heart 
grows sere, the large emotions of his soul wither 
and die, ere ever the garb he wears have lost its 
colour ! " 

And then he gazed upon the golden Anklet, that 
was so small it had but just clasped round his wrist ! 
And he burst out a weeping, and cried : 

" Poor little Sita ! my childlike, fragile Sita ! whom 
I took away from the loving care of the old man, 



THE SYMPATHETIC MONKEY. 



163 



Janaka, and brought into these savage woods to 
meet so hard a fate! So timorous, my Sita ! So 
gentle, and so very, very timid, that when the wind 
howled, even, thou didst nestle close to me, and 
with thy large eyes ask, < Protect me, Rama ! ' And 
yet so brave, my Sita ! so patient and so generous, 
that though I saw the terror in thine eyes, and felt 
thy little heart flutter against mine, thou didst never 
tell thy fears, nor utter a complaint, nor one regret, 
lest I might fancy thou wert suffering through follow- 
ing my lot. And so beautiful, and so loving, Sita ! 
Alas ! my Sita,— and so beloved ! It had been better 
otherwise, my Queen ! It had been better far for 
thee, poor Child, if I had loved thee less ; for I 
am a man accursed by Destiny, and my love has 
been thy ruin ! " 

As he lay upon the earth, quite beaten down with 
grief, Sugriva came near, and said, amid many sobs : 

"I, too, am one accursed by Destiny. Let us 
mourn our several griefs together!" 

The ghost of a smile flitted across the noble coun- 
tenance of Rama. He dashed the tears from his 
eyes, and tossed back his head, as though he were 
defying despair to overpower him. Then he said 
kindly to the dismal Monkey : 

" Nay, let us rather strive to help each other to 
overcome misfortune. What are thy sorrows, worthy 
Simian? Tell them me, that I may make their 
remedy my care." 

Then Sugriva plucked a branch from a shorea, 
that was all in flower, and bade Rama sit down on 
m 2 



Chap. X. 



Sugriva 
tells Rama 
he too is in 
grief, and 
the hero bids 
him tell the 
cause. 



164 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 



tells lioiv 
Balin pur- 
sued the 
A sura _ 
Mayavin. 



How the 
Asura Jled 
into a 



it beside him • and when Hanuman saw that, he 
gathered a branch from a sandal-tree, and beckoned 
Lakshmana to sit by him ; and when they were all 
comfortably established, the Prince among Simians 
commenced his story. 

"Doubtless, O Elephants among Men!" he said, 
"you both know the name of Balin, the invincible 
Orang-outang who governs all the Simian tribes ? He 
is my elder brother, — and my most bitter and relentless 
enemy. You shall hear how, and why he became so. 
After the death of the eminent Ape our father, Balin 
inherited with his crown the affectionate loyalty I 
had ever paid my rightful superior. Also, there had 
never been a dispute between us; when the Asura, 
Mayavin, jealous of Balin's great renown, declared war 
against him. One night, when the Lord of Monkeys 
was calmly reposing in his cavern, Kishkindhya, the 
malevolent Asura, came and stood without, and 
shouted a thousand outrageous insults, and dared 
Balin to come forth and wrestle with him. Then my 
intrepid Brother leapt from his couch, and rushed 
forth to avenge the insult. I followed him, wishing 
to share his danger. But when Mayavin saw us both, 
his courage failed him, and turning back into the 
forest, he fled with the speed of the wind. We pur- 
sued him for many miles, but his swiftness of foot 
was extreme, and the morning dawned ere we had 
come up with him. Then, just as we were close 
upon his heels, the wily Demon stepped on one side, 
and rushed into a cavern, whose entrance was con- 
cealed by shrubs and creeping plants. But Balin had 



SUGRlVA 'S STOR Y. 



16: 



How Baliu 

charged him 
to guard the 
cavern's 
mouth. 



seen his place of refuge, and turning to me with a | Chap, x 
smile, said : 

" ' Await me here, Sugriva ; to wrestle with this 
Mayavin one suffices, — but to prevent him running 
away from this combat he so desired a while back, is a 
more difficult matter. If he seek to pass thee, drive 
him back into the cavern, but do not thou enter it ; I 
choose to overcome this blustering Asura unaided.' 

"So, obedient to my brother's word, I took up 
my stand at the mouth of the cavern. All that day I 
waited. The night drew on, and the moon came out 
to wonder ; every little star bewildered itself to know 
why I stood there! The morning woke up, and 
laughed—' What, you there still ? ' The noonday sun 
streamed down its hottest beams : ' I will make this 
infatuated Ape move from here ! ' he said ;— but I did 
not stir. Only as the night came on again, I gave 
up hope. I am naturally of a lugubrious disposition ; 
there appeared to me no longer any doubt that my 
Brother had perished by Mayavin's hand ; and as I 
stood there, my tears streamed down like rain, for 
sorrow at his supposed death. At length came 
oozing out from the fatal cavern a little stream of 
thick, dark crimson ; when it wetted my feet, 1 
started back appalled, for I never doubted that it was 
the murdered Balin's blood. 

" ' At all events, the assassin shall not escape ! ' I 
muttered. * I should be powerless to slay him, for 
Balin's vigour was twice as great as mine, ere I had 
been enfeebled thus by grief and fasting; but he 
shall not escape.' 



Horn he 
thought 
Baliu had 
perished. 



i66 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 

And having 

blocked up 
the cavern, 
mourned 
sore for his 
brother. 



How Hanu- 
nian per- 
suaded him 
to assume 
the crown. 



" And so I blocked up the entrance of the cave 
by a huge stone. Then I returned to the cave of 
Kishkindhya, to tell the doleful news to the whole 
Simian tribe, that they might mourn for Balin as never 
Ape was mourned before I And so they did ; for 
three days there was no sound heard in all the forest 
but the discordant wailings of all sorts of Monkeys ; 
— and among them all, was none who grieved more 
wildly, nor wailed more shrilly than myself ! 

"At the close of that time, Hanuman, the noble 
Son of the Wind, came to me, as a messenger from 
the whole Simian tribe. 

" ' Magnanimous Sugriva ! ' he said, ' deign to re- 
press thy grief, for the sake of those who now look to 
thee for support and guidance. Thou art our sove- 
reign, Prince of Monkeys ! and to mourn for any 
length of time disturbs our loyalty, and is repugnant 
to our characters as Apes : the assembled tribes long 
to do homage to the new Monarch of Simians ; put 
on thy robes of state, Sugriva, and come forth, to 
delight their eyes 1 ' 

" Rama, I swear it, I had preferred to spend my 
life in perpetual tears for the unhappy Balin ! But 
they would not listen to my protestations. Much 
against my will, they invested me with the royal man- 
tle, and proclaimed me king in my brother's stead. 

" However, one day that I was seated amidst my 
ministers, deliberating on some affairs of state, strode 
in no less a personage than the Balin I had mourned 
as dead ! Overcome with joy, I sprang from my 
throne, and was about to fling myself on his neck, 



BALIN'S RETURN. 



167 



when his wrathful and forbidding scowl checked my 
joyous emotion. 

" ' Brother ! ' I faltered, 'is it indeed thou ? My Lord, 
— my King, — my Brother ? I wept for thee as dead ! 
Thanks be to Vishnu, the kindly God, in whose 
sight life is precious, and praise be to thy strong- 
heart that has brought thee triumphant through this 
conflict ! Oh, with what joy I give thee back thy 
crown ! It was a bitter grief to me to set it on my 
head I Balin, — look not on me thus coldly ; say 
thou dost not doubt me, Brother ! ' 

" He put me on one side without a word. Striding 
past me, he mounted the steps of his high throne j 
and stood there, his colossal frame worn and spent 
with hunger and fatigue, and his two eyes gleaming 
like living coals ! Then the whole Simian tribe, 
carried away with pride and delight in his lordly 
bearing, shouted till the leaves fell down, and the 
forest trees trembled to their roots ! But Balin put 
forth a hand — to silence them. Where I stood, 
stricken and abashed, his eye found me out; and 
his scornful finger showed me to them; so that each 
one there looked from him to me, — and back from 
me to him, — and held his breath. 

" ' Men of the Woods ! ' he cried, and stabbed me 
with his accusing finger, though his gaze despised to 
rest on me, ' ye are called "wild " by those who dwell 
in cities, — it may be ; for my part, I would not change 
my title of King among the Wild Men of the Woods, 
to have the government of every smooth, tame slave, 
who lets himself be bound by laws and formulas, im- 



Chap. x. 



How Balm 

returned 
and sus- 
pected hint 
of treachery. 



How Balin 
denounced 
him to the 
Monkey 
tribes. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



| posed on him by others. I do not give you laws; they 
exist — for me as well as you ; it is not I who have made 
it a base thing to plot, betray, and murder ; it is not 
/ who have said that to design to slay, and then to 
rob one of such near kinship as a brother is a worse 
outrage, a more flagrant blasphemy against Nature ! 
But it is I, — your King, your Lover, to' whom your 
honour as a race is dear, — who ask you now, if you 
will harbour in your midst a Traitor who has violated 
the obligations Brahm has laid on him, and shamed 
the One Creator's name, by being the despicable thing 
he is ? ' 

"As a large wave, sweeping onwards to shore, rose 
in the crowd a murmur, that grew and swelled, — and 
then died, hushed into a deep-drawn breath, as he 
turned on me all the passion of his rage. 

" ' Simians, you behold this Sugriva ; oh, look on 
him,— take in every line of feature and of form, — whilst 
T am telling you what manner of creature this is who 
dares to wear our shape ! You know that, some while 
back, an open enemy, Mayavin, the Asura, dared me 
to a combat, and then fled, and sheltered himself in a 
cavern ? I, not witting I addressed a more treacherous 
and ruthless foe, bade this Sugriva here await me at 
the cavern's mouth, and if the Demon sought to flee, 
drive him back to the conflict he had courted. What 
did this estimable Brother, — my own Mother's son ? 
Lusting for my death, yet not daring even to unite 
his strength to the Asura's to master me, he blocked the 
cavern's mouth, and returned to steal my crown. But 
the Immortals willed that, as my life had not been 



SUGRIVA DRIVEN INTO EXILE. 



:6 9 



inglorious, so death should not be dealt me by a mis- 
creant's hand ! I flung myself against the rock, — what 
could a dead block of a stone against a soul drunk 
with its own rage ? The barrier yielded \ bleeding 
and lacerated, I rolled with it down the slope, and lay 
there, liberated, yet fain to die, so shaken was my life 
by this supreme achievement ! — But yet I died not ! 
It was not meet, my People, I should let a Dastard 
rule my brave Men of the Woods ! I am here, — less to 
reclaim my rights than to denounce that Traitor ! ' 

"Asa large wave, sweeping onwards to shore, the 
murmur rose again and swelled ; — but this time it died 
not; — it grew louder, and ever louder, in my ears; a 
sea of threatening faces, grinning with rage and hatred, 
swam before my eyes ; and, my heart quite failing me, 
I turned and fled ! Then, shrieking hideously, the 
whole band of Apes, led on by Balin, rushed after me ; 
and I, only to keep life, sought refuge in this wood 
of Rishyamuka ; for I knew the ferocious Balin dared 
not pursue me hither. Long years back he slew the 
giant Dundubhi, whose mighty skeleton you see 
whitening there ; and in his arrogant delight, he 
flung the Demon's body here, and the blood defiled 
the hermitage of the Saint Matanga ; in his wrath 
the holy man cursed my reckless Brother, and charged 
him, under pain of death, never to enter this forest. 
So I have dwelt here in sanctuary ; and Hanuman, 
and these three noble Apes, who know my innocence, 
have shared with me all the woes and hardships of 
my exile. — This, Rama, is the story of my wrongs 
and sorrows ; and alas ! noble Dasarathide, I see no 



Chai\ X. 



How the 
•whole bend 
drove him 
aiuay. 



How he 
came to 
Rishja- 
miika to 
hide. 



170 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 



Sugrlva 
says none 
can C07iquer 
Balin. 



He tells how 
Kavanawas 
subdued by 
him. 



remedy nor hope ; this Balin will never temper with 
mercy any judgment he has passed ; and though I am 
innocent, he is powerful; and there is none able to 
subdue his will ! " 

At that Lakshmana laughed in scorn. 

" Thou art enamoured of melancholy, Ape ! " he 

said. " Look to the right of thee ; thinkest thou 

Balin could hold his own against Rama, King of Men?" 

Sugrlva looked at Rama • then bowed his mournful 

head upon his breast. 

" I am hot of a hopeful disposition," he said 
meekly. "It seems to me that none could conquer 
this Orang-outang, who tears the forest trees up' by 
the roots, and who in sport tossed here that mon- 
strous carcase of Dundubhi, as one would throw a 
pebble." 

Without stirring, Rama placed his foot beneath the 
huge skeleton, and raised it high in air • then kicked 
it from him into shattered fragments ! But even 
then Sugrlva shook his head. 

" It was weighted with flesh and blood," he said, 
"when Balin cast it hither. I would not have this 
young hero, whose beauty seems more than mortal, 
fall a victim to this indomitable Warrior. Once 
Ravana, the dreadful Lord of Rakshasas, having 
heard his fame, desired to wrestle with him. The 
Demon came to Balin at sunset, when he was busy 
at his prayers. 

" ' Leave these mummeries, Ape ! ' said the Rak- 
shasa ; ' they tell me thou hast some strength ; I 
would try a combat with thee ! ' 



BALIN A T HIS EVENING PR A VERS. 



"Balin answered: 'When I have finished my 
devotions to the Gods I will wrestle with thee, 
Rakshasa.' 

" ' The Gods ? ' laughed Ravana in scorn ; 'I am 
beyond them in strength and power. Attend to me 
first, pious Ape, and then address thy prayers 
heavenward ! ' 

" At that, without more ado, my vigorous brother 
clutched the insolent Rakshasa by the throat, and 
held him as in a vice, till his ten faces flushed a 
dusky purple. Meanwhile Balin rinsed his mouth, as 
the rites command, and looking towards the east, 
recited tranquilly his prayer. Then, carrying the 
Demon with him, he marched off by way of 
the air to the western coast, and from thence to 
the southern ocean, and finally towards the northern 
district, where reigns the kingly Himalaya. Having 
thus addressed his adorations towards the four points 
of Heaven, the intrepid Monkey released the Rak- 
shasa, and said to him : 

" ' I am ready now to wrestle with thee, resplen- 
dent Demon ! if such be thy pleasure.' 

" But Ravana shook his head : 

" ' Nay,' he said smiling, ' my breath is not yet in 
a condition to struggle with thee, gallant Balin. Also, 
I require no further proof of thy unusual vigour. 
Accept my felicitations, invincible Orang-outang ! 
Thou hast earned my respect, and I will not battle 
with thee ! ' 

" ' So be it,' answered Balin, who saluted the Rak- 
shasa courteously, and went his way. 



Chap. X. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Rama con- 
T'inccs 
Sugrlva of 
his power to 
subdue 
Balm. 



" If the Scourge of the three worlds failed to con- 
quer this doughty Ape, who shall master him?" 

Then Lakshmana sprang to his feet. 

" What proof dost thou require, thou obstinately 
despondent Ape !" he asked impatiently, " to assure 
thee that the strength of this Simian is as a feather 
to the might of Rama ? " 

"Once," returned Sugrlva, "Balin traversed with 
one arrow the hearts of three palm-trees ; let Rama 
show me a like deed, and I will believe my brother 
has found an equal." 

Without a word the noble Dasarathide took his 
bow, and shot from it an arrow that sped shivering 
through the hearts of seven palm-trees, and finally 
pierced the mountain's side beyond, and stuck quiver- 
ing in the hard rock. 

A gleam of hope sprang into Sugriva's eyes. 

" O Elephant amongst Men ! " he exclaimed ex- 
citedly, " thou art indeed Balin's master ! Under thy 
puissant aid I shall not fear to abandon the shelter 
of this wood of Rishyamuka. Say, O Hero with 
the radiant eyes ! wilt thou indeed help to restore 
me to my home and family, of whom Balin has 
robbed me?" 

Rama answered him : 

" Return, Sugrlva, to thy native woods ; assert 
thy innocence, and claim thy rights. If Balin menace 
thy life I will slay him ; for an innocent life is of 
more worth than a guilty one ! " 

And so, for the first time since his banishment, 
Sugrlva ventured forth from the wood of Rishya- 



THE BATTLE BETWEEN BALIN AND SUGRIVA. 



muka. Hanuman and the other Apes followed him 
at a distance with Lakshmana. As for Rama, he 
walked side by side with the Prince of Orang- 
outangs',' until they were within a short distance 
of the cavern Kishkindhya ; then he paused, keeping 
his bow in readiness, in case Sugrlva's life should 
be in peril. 

The outlawed Ape, standing before the cavern's 
mouth, shouted to Balin to come forth to him. 

" After long years of exile," he cried, " I come, 
determined to resist this unjust oppression ! Brother, 
I am innocent of the crime you accuse me of. Re- 
tract your cruel judgment, and restore to me family 
and friends, or battle with me here, that or you or I 
may quit this world, where life, and peace, and 
honour are impossible for us both ! " 

Maddened by the sound of a voice he hated, the 
ferocious Orang-outang rushed forth from the cavern, 
and fell on the luckless Sugrlva. The two tussled 
and flung each other, and tore each other with their 
nails ; they reeled here and there, clutched in each 
other's arms, and stumbled, and fought upon their 
knees ; and, still fighting, rolled upon the ground in 
a delirious frenzy of rage, which their near kindred 
rendered more intense ; — for hatred is love gone mad : 
one feels no rage against the stone which falls on 
one, and maims one ; and if one's heart were cold to 
one's fellows, their wrongs and insults would never 
awaken the passion of revenge. 

But Rama, standing at a short distance, could not 
distinguish the Brothers from each other, so like were 



Chap. X. 



Sugriva dc 
fies Balin. 



74 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. X. 



> ugriva 
vertTirffwn. 



Next day he 
defies Balin 
again. 



they in size and colour; and he dared not seek to 
free Sugrlva from that fatal embrace, lest his arrow 
might strike the innocent Monkey in mistake for Balin. 
At length the exiled Ape, covered with blood, broke 
from the desperate grasp of Balin, and screaming 
shrilly for pain and grief, fled towards the wood of 
Rishyamuka. 

Thither Rama followed him ; and the disconsolate 
Monkey, laying his hand on a grievous wound upon 
his chest, asked with tearful eyes : 

" Why didst thou deceive me, Hero ? I had never 
dared to face this Balin hadst thou not promised to 
protect me ; for I knew his strength to be three 
times that of mine ! " 

Rama explained how he had not dared to shoot an 
arrow lest it might wound Sugrlva instead of Balin, so 
nearly w T ere they of the same size and colour. And 
upon that Lakshmana gathered a branch of Gaja- 
pushpa that grew on the mountain's slope, and tied it 
round the throat of the ill-used Orang-outang. 

" By this sign," he said, " shall Rama recognize 
thee in to-morrow's combat." 

So the following day Sugrlva, the four other 
Orang-outangs, and the two noble Dasarathides, 
sallied forth again. Before the cave of Kishkindhya, 
the outlaw, once more, defied the Lord of Simians. 

" Come forth," he shouted ; "acknowledge thy mis- 
deeds, or expiate them ! " 

Then Tara, wife of Balin, sought to restrain the im- 
petuous fury of her Lord. 

" Thou dear Husband ! " she pleaded, " venture not 



BALIN CONQUERED. 



75 



forth today; I beseech thee, for this one day, stay 
with, me, in this cave of Kishkindhya ! A presenti- 
ment of evil hangs over me. Is not thy great fame 
established ? In all the three worlds is there one who 
questions thy courage ? This Sugriva is not wont 
to be so valorous; there may be treachery afloat — 
treachery and danger to thy dear life ! O my Lord, 
is there shame in avoiding the snare of a traitor ? " 

Balm, laughing, embraced his favourite Queen upon 
the brow. 

" Nay," he said, " gentle Tara, fear nothing ! It has 
been granted me, by the Immortals, to die at the 
hands of a Hero, grander by his virtues and his 
courage than any among living creatures ! Shall this 
paltry Sugriva alarm me ? And if death indeed 
awaited me, still could I not refuse this challenge; 
for to tolerate an offence were harder far than to 
die ! " 

And with that he came rushing forth upon Su- 
griva. But when Rama saw that the vigorous 
Monkey was about to triumph, once more, over his 
innocent Brother, he drew his bow, and pierced the 
heart of Balin by his unerring shaft ! 

Relaxing his grasp of Sugriva, the mighty Ape 
screamed forth, " I am slain ! " and fell, with a mon- 
strous crash, to the earth ! 

When they saw that, Lakshmana, and Nala, Nila, 
Tara, and Hanuman shouted for triumph ! 

But Rama approached the dying Orang-outang, 
and said, with grave respect : 

"Forgive me this deed, heroic Balin." 



Chap. X. 

Tara seeks 
to dissuade 
her husband 
front accept- 
ing the 
combat. 



Balin rush- 

11 Iff 071 

Sugriva is 
•wounded by 
Rama. 



176 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 



Balin re- 
proaches 



Then he knelt down beside him, — and drew the 
arrow forth from out the wound. 

Turning his failing eyes on the young Warrior, the 
dying Monkey said : 

"Rama, Rama the Dasarathide, thou who wast 
known in the three worlds as the Friend of living 
creatures, why hast thou soiled thy soul ? Had I 
fallen by thy hand in open warfare, I had met death, 
as it was promised me, — at a Hero's hand; then had 
I pardoned thee, and died content ! But now has 
this needless cruelty dethroned thee from thy nobility ; 
destroyed thy treasures of past mercy ; and snapt 
the cord that bound to thee the hearts of living 
creatures ! Wherefore hast thou abandoned thyself 
to this senseless fury? Had Sugrlva slain me, 
it had been in fair battle, and to avenge many 
wrongs; but thou, how had I injured thee? And 
if thou hadst no grounds to hate me, what motive 
prompted thee to this ill deed ? We lead a harmless 
life, we Wild Men of the Woods ; we feed on fruits 
and grains, and never store up wealth. Our flesh is 
not good for food ; the Brahmans forbid its use ; for 
we have five fingers on our hands, and our con- 
struction resembles man's ; our skins, even, may 
not be worn as clothing. Wherefore, then, Rama, 
hast thou slain me ? This deed, which has nor ven- 
geance, nor interest for motive, will load thy name 
with ignominy ! " 

Rama, supporting him the while, that he might not 
suffer needless anguish in his last hour, answered : 
"Thou reasonest, Balin, with the shallow judgment of 



THE DEATH OF BALIN. 



177 



an ape. Had my action indeed vengeance, or interest, 
as motive, it would, as thou sayest, dim my fair 
fame, and render worthless my past reverence for 
justice. Or had I, from vainglorious delight in the 
strength the Gods had given me, challenged thee to a 
combat and slain thee, to prove myself more vigorous, 
it were not less a shameful deed. There is but one 
just reason for destroying life, — and that is, its preser- 
vation. To save a worthier life, we may take a less 
noble one ; under no other circumstances can we 
innocently destroy the meanest son of Brahm ! I 
slew thee, Balin, because, otherwise, thou hadst slain 
Sugrlva; he is innocent, whilst thou hast been sus- 
picious, rancorous, and cruel. It was just that I 
should count his life of more value than thy own ; 
but thy death is a sorrow, not a triumph to me." 

Then the dying Lord of the Simians turned him, 
painfully, towards Rama : 

" Thou art right," he said, " and I have erred. It 
is meet that I should die, since I have been unjust ; 
but let my death expiate my offence. If Sugriva 
be near — I cannot see whether he be near, there is a 
mist that hides from me who are standing round — let 
him note how the death agony convulses me, and let 
him say, ' It suffices ! ' Let him not visit my sins on 
the innocent ; Tara, my faithful consort, and Angada, 
my son, who stands yet in the young dawn of life, 
have committed no offence. They have loved me; 
but surely to love, even the guilty, is not a crime ? 
For me, I regret the past ; but can I change it now ? 
I cannot do more than die ! " 

N 



Chap. X. 

Rama justi- 
fies himself. 



Balin asks 
mercy for 
his queen 
and for 
A ugada. 



173 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. X. 



R dma pro- 
mises to pro- 
tect them. 



" Thou canst do no more," said Rama, gently ; 
" also thy sins die with thee. What thou hast done 
that was noble, and generous, and brave, passes not 
away ; it lives, and testifies that thy spirit dwelt upon 
the earth, in mortal shape. Have no fear, noble 
Balin, for Tara and Angada ; they shall hear of the 
great deeds of the Lord of the Simians; and it shall 
be their pride to have loved such an one. Leave thy 
fame, and the welfare of thy dear ones, in my hands | 
and thou, rest thee from pain, and die in peace ! " 

" I leave them in thy hands," he returned feebly — 
and died in peace. 



CHAPTER XL 



THE LOVE OF INDRA, 1 

" The Breath which is in the midst is India. He, by his 
might, kindled other breaths in the midst: inasmuch as he 
kindled them, he is Indha (the Kindler)." 

Mtjir's Sanscrit Texts. 

"He who kindles;" Indra, God of Celestial Fire! 
It is he who troubles the air, and fires the clouds ; it 
is he, also, who touches the thoughts of man with 
flame ! 

Have you watched the changeful sky— crimson, 
and gold, and amethyst, sinking into a depth of azure ? 

It is the Mantle of Indra. 

From its folds glance forth the beamy stars. He 
is called the God with the thousand eyes ; for stars 
look out from the folds of his mantle ! 

He rides on the snow-white Elephant, Airavata, 
whom the Storm lashed out from the foam of the Sea. 
In his hand is Vajra, the Thunderbolt ; the forked 
Lightnings are his arrows. 

Have you heard the shriek of the East Wind? 
Have you seen the trees wrenched up, and thrown, 
1 FwfeNote. 
N 2 



Chap. XII. 

The God of 
Sunshine 
and Storm. 



i8o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XI. 



crushed, back to earth ; the sand torn up in eddies, 
and the white salt dust of the Sea flung in the face of 
heaven ? 

It is the Wrath of Indra. 

The sunlight is his Laughter ; when the clouds give 
their lives forth in rain, he is in grief. 

In earth or heaven, there is none like him. His 
Beauty has the wistful passion of a man, and the 
splendour and might of a God ! A Flash of Supernal 
Fire, he has thrilled through the earth's dark places ; 
he has learnt Sorrow, and Guilt, and Desire ; and 
the dark, wild Heart of a Man struggles through his 
Divinity ! 

" Let us worship with reverence the mighty Indra, 
the exalted, the undecaying, the youthful ! " : 

In all nations, through all ages, he has been so 
worshipped. The Celestial Fire has not cooled, the 
" Breath that is in the midst " still kindles other 
" Breaths" to its heat. The God of Sunlight and Storm 
still bids the world dream or struggle, lust or aspire ; 
and the great ocean of man's passions obeys him ! 

There were some young maidens standing just on 
the threshold of Life ; for Childhood is the vestibule 
merely ; it is hung with pretty Pictures, too, so that 
one docs not look on to the World-chamber at the 
end until the glare, of a sudden, bursts on one, and one 
hears the uproar made by the over-numerous guests. 

Just at this point paused our young maidens, half 
awed by the tumult, half fascinated by all the move- 
ment and the light. It chanced that at this moment 
1 Rig Veda. 



THE LOVE OF INDRA. 



381 



the gaze of Indra fell on them, and beholding them, 
so beautiful and so pure, he loved them. Flashing 
earthward, in a Form" of Fire, he kissed them on the 
lips, and left them with blanched cheeks, and eyes 
aflame. For they knew a God had been with them, 
and thrilled them by his touch, and yet had winged 
his way back to his High Home ere they had tasted 
aught of passion, save its first sudden pain ! 

So, with a fever on them, and a vague desire in their 
innocent breasts, seeking Whom they knew not, what 
they could not say, they wandered forth • and Love, 
who breathes only in the upper air, led them to a 
Hilly Country, where the large stars seemed smiling 
near. 

And there, still far beyond them, but looking down 
with deeply passionate eyes, they saw the great God, 
Indra; and he held out his large arms, wooing them to 
the fire of his embrace ! 

The hearts of the young maidens failed them. 
Fain had each been to turn her back ; but her soul 
within of a sudden found its wings, and bore her, in 
a rush of superhuman ecstasy, to the arms of the 
enamoured God ! 

Thus, ignorant of the bitter cost to mortals, who 
press up, with quivering lips and heaving breasts, to 
meet the desire of the Sons of Heaven, did they 
receive the " sorrowful great Gift," the Love of Indra. 

Bear me witness, Ye, who have tasted the Kiss of 
Fire, how closely anguish and rapture are interwoven 
here. Whether is greatest, I know not ; the bliss and 
suffering alike strain all too fiercely the human brain 



Chap. XI. 



The Beloved 
of Indra. 



r82 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XI. 



The Brides 
of Indra 
wander 
from Mount 
Mei'ii. 



and heart ; yet who would cage his soul and bar it 
round with shade, if the Sun-god claimed it of him, 
saying, " Let my large pulses thrill thy being through, 
and draw thy Spirit forth from thee in Flame ?" 

But our little maidens, having no previous know- 
ledge of all an Immortal's love involved, fretted 
against the Crown Indra had laid on them ; because, 
although it wrapped them in a Light, it scorched and 
tore their smooth young brows, and mingled with its 
Beams of Gold the lifeblood of the wearers. 

" We are faint," they said, " and weary ! The 
bloom has faded from our cheeks, and all the youth 
of our hearts is dying ! Our eyes are tired with 
Beauty ! Tired — and Light is but a splendid Pain. 
Our hearts are spent with passion, this eternal Rapture 
will destroy us. Oh that we could rest ! Rest — rest, 
from the fever of our lives, ere it exhaust our power, 
and we die !" 

So, one day that this longing for rest overcame 
them, they strayed from the Mountain of Meru, where 
the Gods quaff sparkling nectar, and hearken to the 
Song that dies not, but flings forth the Soul of its 
music half-way between Hell and Heaven; gathering 
voices, from Hell and from Heaven, that merge their 
might and their glory to swell this Ocean of Harmony ! 

With their hands to their ears the faithless Brides 
of Indra fled from the witching strains, and sought 
the sheltered valleys, where life is calm, and men and 
women pass slowly through the stages of time ; 
marking progress merely by the succession of season, 
and dying, at length, because they have dwelt too long, 



THE COUNTRY OF THE UTTARAKURUS. 



"83 



not lived too much. And in their wanderings they 
came upon the country of the Uttarakurus. Oh, that 
was a pleasant land, and surely just the spot where 
our weary Fugitives might find the peace they longed 
for. There were no extremes of heat nor cold, no 
excess of light nor depth of gloom ; all was equable 
and tempered calm— like the inhabitants themselves, 
whose dispositions were inaccessible to all violent 
emotions, which overstrain a delicate frame. There 
was no need for any exertion either ; for in a wood, 
called Chaitraratha, hung from the boughs of the 
trees all that the heart could desire; jewels, and 
raiment, and luxurious couches, and delicious viands 
of every description; one had only to walk thither 
and gather them. The flowers in this country were 
of gold, so were the mountains ; the rivulets were so 
choked up with gold that they slept between their 
banks, that were strewn with gold too, and did not 
attempt to sing. The Women who dwelt there were 
all youthful and lovely ; the Men were all courteous, 
and learned in saying pleasant things : old age, or 
disease, or poverty, or suffering, or grief, were not 
known here ; it is probable that all such things were 
soaked away out of the land by the black and terrible 
River, that swept with its sinister floods the borders of 
the Land of Gold, and rolled, muttering ever words 
of menace and despair — that were not understood 
by the smiling Uttarakurus. - 

Amid this luxurious people the pale Wanderers 
paused ; and, struck by their strange beauty and their 
wanness, born of an ardour unknown to any here, the 



Chap. XI. 



The Land 
of Ease. 



r84 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XI. 



The Curse 
of Indra* 



inhabitants flocked around them, saying, " Stay with 
us and share our lives." 

Then, at first, a pang of unsatisfied longing held 
back the souls where Indra had set his Love. But, 
little by little, each sought to reason herself out of the 
memory of those rapturous moments spent up among 
the mountains. 

" Help me to live it down ! " cried out each weary 
heart; and the appealing hands went forth, seeking 
for some stay. 

They met the smooth palms of the bland Utta- 
rakurus. 

" Let us lead you along the path of pleasure," they 
said to the Brides of Indra. 

But the Beloved of the Sun-god found no delight in 
the golden country, nor in the wood of Chaitraratha, 
nor in the company of the smiling Uttarakurus. 

"Better to have died in a god's embrace," they 
moaned, " than to crawl through the long days in this 
hateful City." 

But they had made their choice ; and Mahendra, 
God of the Firmament, has no welcome for rene- 
gades ! In the heart of the Golden Land his curse 
found them out. 

" Have ye forgotten," he cried to them, " how, in 
the lone Hill Country, ye lay awhile on my breast, 
fainting almost with rapture, while the large stars 
were smiling near, and the night hung, still, around ? 
Have ye forgotten how, pale and beautiful, ye stepped 
through the groves of Nandana; and how Light 
robed ye in splendour ; and the Stars I had laid in 



THE CURSE OF MAHENDRA. 



[8 5 



your bosoms glowed there, and flamed with a glory that 
shamed the pale orbs of heaven? Why have ye 
thrown by your Crowns, whose gems flashed through 
the ages, witnesses to the past and the future that ye 
were chosen as the spouses of Indra ? What though 
your slight heads were bowed, and your fragile 
strength near broken : was not my arm around you ? 
Who would not totter and fail, to be upheld by the 
amorous Indra? What though your spirits' growth 
were too swift for your delicate frames ? As guerdon 
for your shortened lives, my Love had made ye im- 
mortal ! 

" But ye have loved ease better than glory ! O 
foolish Ones ! ease can never be yours ! Ye have 
tasted an Immortal's Love ! And your glory ye have 
abandoned ! Dwell, then, as Exiles and Strangers 
in this town ye have preferred to the mountains ; 
and, since ye have dreaded the Tempest, endure the 
torments of the Calm." 

And so, in the city of the Uttarakurus, dwell 
these pale Women with the lustrous eyes, who were 
once the Beloved of Indra ; and they hold no friendly 
intercourse nor have sympathy with any; each morn- 
ing gives fresh birth to the wild Desire, that gnaws 
their hearts ; each night finds them in a dead despair ; 
for the pitiless Curse of Mahendra drives them down 
to their unhonoured graves ! 



Chap. XI. 



CHAPTER XTI. 



THE ANCIENT VULTURE SAMP ATI. 



The despond- 
ency of 
S?ig-riva's 
envoys. 



Chap, xh. A large company of Monkeys, that had for chiefs 

! Hanuman and Angada, son of the deceased Balin, 

I paused to rest on the slopes of the Mount Vindhya. 

It was glorious weather ! There was not a leaf, 

nor a blade of grass, but was saturated through with 

sunlight, and seemed half delirious with happiness ! 

Our Monkeys, who were, for their part, in very low 

spirits, looked on this as an insult, heaped on to the 

afflictions which distressed them. It is indubitable, 

\ that there is a satisfaction in contemplating the depths 

of one's own misery, and in recalling the ill-treatment 

one has met with at the hands of fate, or of one's 

fellows. As they sat there, their chips upon their 

knees, a certain gloomy complacency overspread their 

countenances. 

Angada was the first to speak. 

"The time allowed us by Sugrlva, to scour the 

country for tidings of the Vaidehl, has long 

elapsed," he said ; " we have failed to discover any 

trace of her; but, entangled in the labyrinth of the 

[recluse Svayamprabha, and seeking in vain an exit 



THE WISDOM OF THE IMMORTALS. 



f8 7 



from the enchanted cavern, we have incurred the 
penalty of death, with which the Monarch of Apes 
threatened those who failed to return within one 
month, to report the result of their search. My 
innocent Brethren, our fate is sealed ! Implore, if ye 
will, the pardon of Sugriva : for me, I prefer to die here 
of thirst and hunger, on this lonely mountain, rather 
than trust to the mercy of my Father's Enemy ! " 

" We will die with thee," returned the others ; and, 
with melancholy resolution, they grouped them round 
the young Chieftain. 

Now it chanced that, on a crag somewhat above 
them, Sampati, the aged King of Vultures, was 
taking a midday doze. The firm resolution with 
which the band of Simians seated themselves, to 
set about dying forthwith, shook the Mount Vindhya, 
and awakened the ancient Bird, who, looking over, 
perceived the group of disconsolate Monkeys. 

Sampati was a very devout Fowl. 

"Beyond a doubt," he exclaimed, casting up his 
eyes, " it is an admirable Wisdom who directs the 
course of events for my profit ! The Immortals have 
brought these quadrumanous creatures here, and put 
the thought of self-destruction into their heads, so 
that, after my long fast, I might delight my appetite 
with a food I love ! " 

This pious ejaculation reached the ears of the 
dejected Monkeys. 

Now, one may be heartily weary of life, and even 
have made up one's mind to be rid of it ; but one 
does not care to have the ways and means made too 



Chap. XII. 

Angada 
counsels self - 
destruction. 



Sampati, 
overhearing 
this propo- 
sal, contem- 
plates a 
satisfactory 
meal. 



[88 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XII. 



Angada 
speaks of 
t'te Vulture 
yatayu. 



Sampati, 
hearing this, 
says Jatayu 
was his 
brother. 



easy to one; in such a matter, one likes to choose 
one's own time and path of exit. So the exclamation 
of Sampati was anything but agreeable to our 
Monkeys. 

But Angada was possessed of a shrewdness and 
sagacity beyond his years. 

" Alas ! " he exclaimed, in a loud tone of voice, 
" this lamentable exile of Rama, how many misfor- 
tunes has it not occasioned ? Already Dasaratha has 
perished, and Balin, — and that inestimable Vulture, 
Jatayu ! Ah, that was the most grievous of all ! 
Dasaratha was a worthy King, but he was already 
enfeebled by age ; and Balin had been guilty of injus- 
tice ; we, too, if perish we must, have failed to 
accomplish our sovereign's commands ; but Jatayu ? 
that elephant among Vultures was resplendent in 
honour, and beauty, and virtue, when he sacrificed 
his life in this cause ! " 

When he heard that, Sampati dragged himself to 
the edge of the shelving rock. 

"Do you speak of Jatayu, the son of Garuda?" 
he asked ; " he who dwelt in the country of the 
Janasthana ? " 

Then Angada turned, and looked up with simulated 
astonishment, as who should say, — " Is there a Bird, 
above me, on this mountain ? " 

" I beseech your Highness," implored the aged Vul- 
ture, meekly, " to relieve the anxiety of a brother's 
heart. I am a bird of a noble race ; but, alas ! the 
sun has scorched my wings ; and for many years I 
have been confined to this Mount Vindhya, and have 



WHY ALL CREATURES BEFRIEND RAMA. 



had no tidings of my family. If this illustrious Vul- 
ture of whom you speak be indeed my brother, 
the magnanimous Jatayu, who dwelt in the Janas- 
thana, I would beseech one of your company, noble 
Simians, to climb up hither, and bring me down 
among you, that I may hear the sad details of his 
death." 

Then some of the Apes demurred, saying : 
" Shall we bring this monster down among us, that 
he may devour us the more easily ? " 
But Hanuman, Son of the Wind, said : 
"He is a Vulture of good family, and treachery 
is not compatible with high breeding;" and so he 
climbed up to Sampati, and brought the large Bird 
down in his arms. 

Then the ancient Vulture turned his dim eyes on 
Angada. " Tell me, noble Orang-outang ! " he asked, 
" who is this Rama, for whose sake my brother gave 
his life; and for whom ye, too, seemed minded, a 
while since, to die? How has he thus earned the 
devotion of living creatures ? " 

Angada answered : " Rama is a King's son, who 
loved honour better than his father's crown ; that is 
why he is an exile. As he has been true to his own 
soul, so has he been just to the lower creatures, whom 
Brahm made to be his younger brothers. He has 
despised none ; he has not thoughtlessly inflicted pain ; 
he has taken pleasure in winning their simple, trustful 
love ; that is why he possesses, unimpaired, Man's 
sovereignty over every living race and tribe upon 
this earth. 



Chap. XII. 

The Vulture 
begs them to 
tell how Ja- 
tayu died. 



A ngada 
relates tke\ 
virtues of 
Rama. 



190 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XII. 



Hotv Jatayu 
ivas slain by 
Ravana. 



Sampati 
mourns for 
his brother. 



"Ravana, the Scourge of the Three Worlds, has 
stolen his Beloved, the beautiful Princess of Videha. 
The noble Vulture, your brother, was the first to give 
his life, in seeking to rescue Rama's Bride from the 
Demon's clutches. Ravana slew the gallant Bird in 
the country of the Janasthana. We have been sent 
forth by our King, Sugriva, to discover the hiding- 
place of the ravisher of Sita, and Jatayu's murderer. 
Our search has been fruitless ; and rather than return 
to face the wrath of Sugriva, and the grief of Rama, 
we had determined to die, here, on this mountain 
side ! " 

Then Sampati, very sorrowful for Jatayu's death, 
drooped his head awhile; and lay, quite still, upon 
his side; and the Simians, in reverence for his grief, 
kept silence round him. 

" Ah me ! " he said at length, with a deep sigh, 
" the empire of the air is large ; the earth is a great 
place ; and I have heard it said by birds, who have 
plunged and dived into it, the ocean seems to have 
no bounds nor limit ! Yet, though a nest is of such 
insignificant size, it fills the heart more than a whole 
universe ! Up among the crags of the old Himalaya, 
I used to roost beside Jatayu ; and as we grew to be 
large Birds, our stony nest could scarcely hold us, and 
we had to press close, close together ; so close, that 
we could hear and feel each other's hearts beat; and 
they kept time so nearly, it had been hard to say 
which was Jatayu's, and which mine ! 

" It chanced, one day, that my brother and I being 
thrilled by the wild air, started to fly a race together, 



HOW SAMPATPS WINGS WERE BURNED. 191 



Samfiati 

tells how hi 
were 
scorched. 



through Indra's world. But when noon came, and , Chap, xu 
the fierce sun looked straight at us, Jatayu fainted 
and tumbled through the air, head foremost ! Then, ™^j 
full of love and pity, I outspread my large wings 
between him and the cruel sun ; but the hot beams 
withered them up ; and, maddened with pain, I stag- 
gered earthward, and fell on the summit of this 
Mount Vindhya. Long I lay there unconscious, 
because my agony had exceeded what life can know ; 
at length I awakened, to the loss of death, without its 
restful gain. I had no wings ; my sight was dimmed ; 
only the sense of pain was left ! For some time I 
remained there, hoping all would be over soon. But 
death came not ! Wearied out with suffering, I 
dragged myself down the rocky slope, to the entrance | How he 
of the cavern of the Saint Nisakara. There, leaning I suit the C ' 
against a tree, I waited till the Saint should pass, that | mlakara. 
I might ask him why death refused to give me rest. 
Towards even, when the sleepy breeze was hushing 
the flowers to sleep, Nisakara came walking towards 
the hermitage ; and behind him came a troop of wild 
animals, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, &c, lovingly 
escorting the Holy Man to his abode. The Hermit 
looked at me, with mild pity, as he passed, but he 
entered the cavern without speaking to me. Then, 
very disconsolate, I thought to drag myself back 
whence I had come. But, after a time, the good 
Nisakara came forth to me, and said, compassion- 
ately : 

" ' I saw two bold, young Vultures, sons of the great 
Garuda, bound forth, to fly a race through Indra':- 



192 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XII. 



Sampati 
begs Nisa- 
kara that he 
may be re- 
leasedfrom 
life. 



Nisdkara 
promises 
that his 
wings shall 
one day be 
restored to 
him. 



world. The shape of one of them was like to thine, 
poor wingless Bird ! ' 

" Then, mournfully, I told my story. 

" ' And wherefore hast thou come tome?' asked the 
Saint, when I paused. 

" I looked up into his face with great despair. 

" ' I would have thee ask the Lord of Creatures to 
let me die,' I said. < Of what good is life to a Bird 
who has no wings ? ' 

" ' Of what pleasure, thou wouldest say/ answered 
Nisakara, gravely. 'Were thy life of no good, the 
Lord of Creatures had not left it thee ! But I under- 
stand that it seems hard to thee ; thou art but one of the 
younger sons of Brahm, and even his eldest-born, Man, 
frets often at the fact that his own happiness is not 
the object of his being. Know then, for thy comfort, 
thou shalt have thy wings given back to thee some 
day. Wait patiently till the chance be given thee, 
of serving a more noble being than thou • afterwards, 
thy power to float through Indra's world shall return, 
and thy love of life shall be redoubled.' 

"And so I have lived on patiently. Perchance 
this noble Rama may be he of whom the Saint spoke ; 
for if I do not err, I can give you tiding of his lost 
Queen. But first, I would ask your Highnesses to carry 
me to the shores of Varuna's 1 world, that I may 
celebrate the ceremony of lustrous waters, in honour 
of my deceased brother." 

So the Simians led the noble Bird to the sea- 
shore ; and there Sampati offered the funeral honours, 
1 Varuna is Lord of the Ocean. 



SAMP ATI MOURNS FOR HIS BROTHER. 



*93 



which the rites command, to the memory of the 
magnanimous Vulture, who perished by Ravana's 
hand; and he mourned there for the good Jata- 
yu, and the impressionable Apes mourned with 
him. 

Afterwards, they carried Sampati back again to 
the mountain, and the princes of their company sur- 
rounded the kingly Vulture ; who, having purified 
himself in the cleansing waters, was resplendent with 
beauty, as though youth were returning to him. 

" O magnanimous Fowl ! " said Angada, kindly, to 
him ; " our lives are, so to speak, between thy claws ! 
If thou canst tell us anything of the Rakshasa, or 
Rama's Bride, we may yet escape the cold of death." 

" I will give you all the help in my power, noble 
Simian ! " returned Sampati. " Would that I had the 
vigour of my early days, and could bear you on my 
wings to the hiding-place of this Ravana. At least, I 
can tell you where to seek him. My son, Suparsva, 
who had tended me during my long years of exile, 
returned a short while back to me, bringing no food, 
though I had fasted many days. When I am hungry, 
I am prone to irritation ; so I chid Suparsva. 

"/Thus it is,' I said, 'that young Birds of the 
present day neglect their aged Parents ! As they 
wing their way lightly through the air, it never occurs 
to them,— My Father, that old Bird whose wings are 
scorched, has had no dinner : or if the thought strike 
them, they say, most likely, " Let the old Fowl starve ! 
that way, the trouble of him will be off my shoulders." 
That is the way with young Birds nowadays.' 
o 



Chap. XII. 

Sampati 
performs the 
cei'emony of 
Lustrous 
Waters hi 
Jatavu's 
houotir. 



The aged 
Vulture 
tells how his 
son returned 
once with no 
Provisions. 






194 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XII. 



How Su- 
parsva en- 
countered 
Ravana 
carrying off 
a daughter 
of man. 



" Then Suparsva answered my reproaches, meekly : 
" < My Father,' he said, ' I scoured the country far 
and wide, seeking some provisions for thee ; but all 
creatures, both eatable and otherwise, seemed hid- 
ing out of the way of some great peril. Whilst I hung 
on the air, wondering, I saw a Monster with ten heads, 
and large swarthy limbs, sailing towards me ; and in 
his arms he held a young daughter of man, clad in 
bright raiment ; who looked like a pure bright Star in 
the dark bosom of a Cloud ! As they neared me, I 
heard her scream, " Rama ! Help ! dear Rama ! " 
And I hesitated whether to succour her or no. But 
he with the ten heads cried to me, courteously, to 
make way for him ; and no bird of breeding answers 
a polite request with a challenge to combat, — so I -let 
him pass. When he was out of sight, crept out of 
the folds of the air the Bhutas, the ethereal spirits 
that float in mist. "Suparsva!" they cried to me, 
" thou hast been near to death ! It was Ravana, 
the Terror of the three worlds, who passed thee 
awhile back ! We were all hidden, crushed together, 
and wrapped away in a shred of vapour : and we 
trembled for thee, so ! But that he held a woman 
in his arms, the dreadful Rakshasa had not let thee 
live ! " And so, Father, I return to thee, glad 
that life is mine ; though, like thee, I am weary and 
a-hungered.' 

" Now, what think ye, illustrious Apes ? Who was 
this woman like a gleaming Star, that Ravana held in 
his embrace ? " 

" Sita. ! " cried the Simians, leaping to their feet. 



SAMPA TVS WINGS ARE RESTORED HIM. 



*95 



" What direction did they take, magnanimous 
Vulture ? " Sampati strove to raise himself. 

" At one hundred yojanas hence," he said, " is the 
sea that washes all the southern coast ; there at a 
hundred yojanas from the shore is the Isle of Lanka, 
where Ravana dwells ; thither, beyond a doubt, he 
has carried Sita." 

As he spake, the air was troubled by a sudden tem- 
pest, the leaves were blown into a flutter on the trees, 
and the trunks swayed them forward and back, as 
though they were about to snap off from their roots. 
It was Suparsva, returning. He swooped down 
beside his father ; and when he heard the errand of 
the noble Simians, he confirmed Sampati's story, and 
gave them many valuable instructions about the road 
they ought to take. 

Whilst he was conversing with Angada and 
Hanuman, little by little, Sampati felt renewed vigour 
and lightness thrill him through ; and presently, a 
sudden impulse kindling him, he essayed to fly ; and, 
lo, a spreading pair of wings were his, — and with wild 
delight he put them forth into the air, — and felt that 
he had mastery over it once again. 

" See ! see ! " he cried out, in the voice of song, 
P my wings are given back to me ! Oh, the delight ! 
Once more I am upborne by the cool air; the 
clouds hold out their misty arms to me ; the blue sky 
beckons me to wander there ! Once more I shall 
spring upwards — my feathers ruffled by the pleasant 
wind — and laugh with the stars because the earth looks 
small ! Once more shall I sink slowly, slowly to the 

O 2 



Chap. XII. 



The return 
of Suparsva, 
•who tells the 
Apes the way 
to Lanka. 



Sampati 
feels power 
in his wings. 



196 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XII 



mountain top, and roost in the old nest among the 
Himalayan crags — and dream that Jatayu is by my 
side, and that I feel his heart answer to the beatings 
of my own. Farewell, O Friends ! Let this favour 
done me prove that your enterprise shall succeed !" 
And with that, he flung himself upon the wind, and 
Suparsva followed him ; whilst the admiring Simians 
looked after them with straining eyes, until they 
seemed two specks, soon swallowed up by the blue 
distance, 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE ADVENTURES OF HANUMAN, SON OF THE 
WIND. 



The Simians are a very impressionable race : one 
cannot fail to discover that whilst perusing Valmiki's 
story. It is probable, too, that were one to investigate 
the matter, one would find that they display the same 
characteristics now ; for evidently human nature has 
not changed much since the times of which he wrote; 
— then why should monkey nature have done so ? 

Their interview with Sampati had quite driven all 
suicidal notions out of the heads of Sugriva's envoys. 
In fact, they went on their way as merry as needs be, 
— speculating on what would be the gratitude of 
Sugriva, and the delight of Rama, when they brought 
them the news that the missing Slta was found at 
last, — until they reached the sea-coast. 

It was very different then ! 

Night wrapped the earth ; but one could dimly see 
the huge white-crested Waves roll them up, grimly 
moaning; then, with a cruel hiss, sweeping back, 
dragging the stones and shingles with their white 
foam-fingers ! It was not a reassuring spectacle, arid 



Chap. XIII. 



77/;- ariity'a 

dismay at 
sight of the 
sea. 



198 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



They en- 
camp for 

the night* 



suggested somewhat forcibly to our heroes' minds, that, 
whilst it is doubtless desirable to know whither one is 
bound, it is not precisely the same thing as being 
landed safe and sound at one's journey's end. 

So, not choosing to express their misgivings, yet 
too dismayed to make any attempt at dissimulation , 
the band of Monkeys, in doleful silence, came to a 
standstill, at a little distance from the moaning 
waters. 

"Let us encamp here for the night," said Angada, 
in a voice that sought to be encouraging ; " in the 
morning we shall be better able to decide what course 
to pursue." 

So they waited there through the night : they 
seemed to have come to a tacit understanding that 
their uneasiness was not to be discussed, — but it was 
not the lighter for that. 

The morning did not materially alter matters ; ex- 
cept that they could see the turbulent ocean, and 
judge how far die Isle of Lanka must be off, since the 
most keensighted amongst them could discover no 
trace of it. Yet, as with nature, so with her children, 
there is a renewal of life with the dawning of day 3 
besides, there is no encouragement to hardihood like 
light. So our adventurous Monkeys, still looking 
dubiously at the heavy, angry-looking mass of waters, 
so unlike the blue rivers that flowed singing through 
their native woods, began to question how in the 
world it might be possible to traverse it • — that was 
already, you see, a step removed from the hopeless 
despondency of the preceding night, 



THE MONKEYS' COUNCIL OF WAR. 



199 



Angada looked anxiously from one to the other of 
his followers, seeking where was displayed the most 
resolution. 

"The eyes of all the Wild Men of the Woods are 
upon us, comrades ! " he cried. " Who loves the 
honour of his race well enough to undertake this 
perilous adventure ? Which of you, Heroes, dares to 
leap across this foaming sea, and explore the Isle of 
Lanka, in search of the Vaidehi ? " 

At that the gallant Apes, who were ranged in a line 
along the shore, leant their heads to the right, and 
looked at the sea ; — and then leant their heads to the 
left, and inspected it that way ■ — afterwards they all 
looked at Angada, and none spoke a word. 

" It is a dangerous enterprise, I admit," he said, in 
answer to their mute appeal; "but we are in des- 
perate circumstances already. Do not forget, O 
Bulls among Apes, that, ere our encounter with that 
distinguished old Vulture, we had decided to die of 
inanition, rather than face the wrath of Sugriva ! In 
what is our position altered now? Come, who will 
extricate himself and his fellows from this difficulty ? 
Let those who have spirit and energy beyond their com- 
rades step out from the ranks, and we will compare 
together, that we may know who has most vigour here !" 

Then Gaya, Gavaksha, Gavaya, Sarabha, Gand- 
hamadana, Mainda, Dvivida, Nila, Nala, Tara, and 
jambavat, the most ancient Ape amongst them 
all, separated themselves from the company. 

" I can leap ten yojanas ! " said Gaya. 

"And I twenty i " said Gavaksha. 



Chap. XIII. 



Next morn- 
ing A ngada 
asks who 
will venture 
on this 
enterprise. 



None pre- 
seniing 
themselves, 
he bids the 
most mighty 
tell what 
power is 
the as. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



All confess 
themselves 
incapable of 
springing 
across the 
sea - 



" 1 should think nothing of thirty ! " said Gavaya. 

" Nor I of forty ! " rejoined Sarabha. 

" Fifty yojanas would not alarm me ! " said Gand- 
hamadana. 

" Sixty would be an easy leap for me ! " observed 
Malnda. 

" I have leapt seventy yojanas between sunrise and 
sunset ! " said Dvivida. 

" And I eighty between dawn and midday ! " re- 
turned Nila. 

"Ninety yojanas is the measure of my usual 
leap ! " said Tara — and flung back his head, as who 
should say, " Will any of you exceed that ? " 

" Ninety-two is the average extent of mine ! " re- 
torted Nala — putting his face close to the others, with 
a grin that answered, " Ay, I will ! " 

"Well," observed the venerable Jambavat, " my 
vigour is doubtless much impaired by age; but it 
seems, all the same, able to surpass the capabilities of 
this arrogant youth. For all that, this exploit is more 
than I could accomplish ! " 

" Or I," said Angada, sadly. "I could leap a hun- 
dred yojanas, which Sampati told us was the dis- 
tance to Lanka ; but of what use were it to Rama 
and Sugriva that I should reach the evil island, and 
perish there ? To return thence would be beyond my 
power." 

"Nay," returned the most ancient of Apes, "let 
who will go, thou must not abandon us, Angada \ 
Sugriva may efface from the minds of the frivolous 
young Monkeys of his court the memory of the re- 



HANUMAN' S PRIDE. 



doutable Balin ; but the pride of the warriors and 
veterans is wrapped up in thee, O Angada ! Whilst 
thou remain amongst us, we are content ! " 

" Content to perish by my uncle's hand ? " asked 
the young Simian, with a mournful smile. 

" If needs be — content even to that ! " returned 
Jamba vat. 

Now, all this while that his companions had been 
boasting of their energy and strength, Hanuman, Son 
of the Wind, had observed a contemptuous silence. 
The venerable Jambavat walked up to where he 
stood aloof, and said : 

" How is it, Indra amongst Quadrumanous Crea- 
tures ! that thou hast no word to say of thy daring, 
nor strength, — thou, who art the Pride of the Simian 
Race, and who, alone, art capable of this astounding 
prowess ? " 

At the praises of Jambavat the gigantic Orang- 
outang seemed to grow and swell in stature ; and the 
eyes of the whole band, turning on him of a sudden, 
flashed with delighted gladness. 

" Step forth, Hanuman ! " they shouted ; " thou 
Lion amongst the Wild Men of the Woods ! " 
"Then the noble Son of the Wind laughed lightly : 

" This enterprise does not alarm me," he said. " I 
have a heart not prone to recognize defeat. Look on 
me, comrades ! I am not one whose beauty lies in 
elegance, nor smooth comeliness ; there are some 
ugly scars about me that do not lend me grace — yet it 
is on them I would have you fix your eyes, and not 
on my well-proportioned limbs and stature ! A large 



Chap. XIII. 



Hannv:an 
is silent, till 
called on by 
Jambavat . 



The Sort of 
the Wind 
dec' ares Ins 
willingness 
for this 
expedition, 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 

He tells 
them of his 
youthful 
daring, and 
asks f they 
can trust 
him. 



The Simians 
wish him a 

good voyage 
as he springs 
away from 
them. 



carcase is of little value without a will to match, and 
strong muscles require a fearless spirit to work them. 
Simians, you know me ! I am Hanuman of the 
broken Jaw ! When I was yet a babe, lying in my 
mother's arms, the ruddy Sun laughed down into my 
face ■ and I, thinking it was some splendid blossom, 
flushed with excess of sap, sprang from my mother's 
arms five yojanas into air, in my eagerness to clutch 
the radiant thing. In the fall that happed me then, I 
broke my jaw. Comrades, I am no longer a babe, 
and have learned to accomplish what I undertake ; 
but my daring and resolution have not cooled. Say — 
will you trust this matter to Hanuman of the broken 
Jaw?" 

" We will ! " shouted they, till the earth shook and 
the mountains shouted back, " We will ! " 

Then Angada wound a garland of scarlet flowers 
round the neck of the noble Orang-outang, and they 
led him to the Mount Mahendra that he might take his 
spring from thence. When Hanuman planted his feet 
firmly on the ground, to give impulsion to his leap, 
the great mountain groaned, and, from between its 
shattered rocks, gushed forth foaming cataracts, 
that rushed headlong down the precipices, to the 
destruction of the Nagas and great serpents, who had 
their holes and caverns there. 

Having addressed one prayer to the Immortals, and 
bidden farewell to his fellows, the heroic Ape stretched 
his long arms towards Lanka, and bounded forth upon 
the air ; and all the Simians shouted to him, " Good 
voyage, and safe return ! " 



THE MOTHER OF NAG AS. 



203 



As this highly-gifted Ape sped through the home of 
birds, his size was developed to an enormous extent, 
and his tail 1 waved majestically from side to side, like 
the cloud-signal hoisted by the Storm-god. His 
shadow, that covered ten yojanas, struck terror into 
the hearts of all the fishes and aquatic monsters. 
Then the Nagas, who made the ocean their home, 
clamoured to their mother, Surasa : 

" Who is this Large Creature, whose shadow 
darkens our world ? Stop his voyage, we pray thee. 
Devour this Quadrumanous Animal, O Mother of 
Nagas ! " 

So Surasa assumed the form of a monstrous Rak- 
shasl with gaping jaws, and rose up through the water. 

" Stop, O colossal Ape !" she shouted to Hanuman • 
" the Immortals have given thee to me for a meal ! 
Therefore enter my mouth without more delay. Of 
what avail is it to resist one's Destiny ? " 

Then, in consternation, Hanuman looked down at 
her mouth, that was like a yawning cavern. 

" Magnificent Parent of Nagas ! " he said, " I am 
employed on an important errand just now; it con- 
cerns Rama — he who is known as the Friend of Living 
Creatures. I beseech thee, let me continue my voyage 
now, and afterwards I will return to be swallowed by 
thee, if such be the will of the Immortals ! " 

But Surasa was impatient — or perhaps she thought 
' it possible that fianuman might prefer another route 
to return by. 

" It is needless thou shouldst be troubled by this 
1 Vide Note 1. 



Chap. XIII. 



Surasa bids 
Hanuman 
enter her 
mouth. 



The Afe 
tells her his 
ei'rand, and 
begs her to 
let him ac- 
complish it. 



204 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
makes him- 
self large 
and then 
small, a?id 
darts in and 
out again of 
Surasa 's 
mouth. 



errand, thou whose last hour is so near," she said. 
"Waste no more time in discussion, but enter my 
mouth forthwith ! " 

" Make thy mouth large enough to hold me then ! '• 
shouted the doughty Son of the Wind, making him- 
self twenty yojanas in length. But when Surasa 
saw that, she stretched her mouth to thirty yojanas ; 
whereupon Hanuman elongated himself to forty ; 
the Rakshasi straightway expanded her jaws to fifty ; 
and so they went on, until Surasa's mouth was a 
hundred yojanas wide ! 

"Of what avail is all this fatigue?" asked the 
Mother of Nagas ; " it is evident our force is equal in 
this matter of expansion ; then wherefore give thyself 
and me this trouble ? Yield to thy Destiny without 
more ado, for I swear by the deathless Gods thou 
shalt not continue thy voyage ere thou hast entered 
my mouth." 

" So be it," answered the dauntless Ape ; and quick 
as thought reduced himself to the dimensions of a man's 
thumb — then he slipped into the monstrous jaws of 
the Rakshasi, and as quickly darted out again. 



" Farewell, Surasa," he laughed ; " I 



have obeyed 
I must now 



thy behests, and entered thy mouth, 
continue my voyage." 

"Farewell, gallant Monkey!" cried the Mother of 
Nagas; "I wished only to put thy ingenuity to the 
proof." 

And having thus cleverly made a victory of defeat, 
Surasa sank down to her clamorous children. 

Now, whilst she felt his Shadow lie on her bosom, 



MAINAKA, THE GOLDEN-HEARTED MOUNTAIN. 



205 



the impulsive Spirit of the Sea put back her waves 
and looked up at Hanuman. 

"Ah," she thought, "this gallant messenger of 
Rama shall have my aid. For is not this noble 
Dasarathide the descendant of Bhagiratha, who 
brought the lovely young Ganga from heaven to be 
my delight ? " 

So she whispered to Mainaka, the golden-hearted 
Mountain : 

" Hanuman, Son of the Wind, is in peril, Mainaka ! 
Thou dost owe thy life to his father : rise up from the 
depths of my kingdom, O Pearl among Mountains, 
that the gallant messenger of Rama may rest on thy 
summit:" 

So the golden-hearted Mountain rose up through 
the whispering waters, all clothed in fluttering verdure, 
that was shimmering with ocean spray. 

But Hanuman thought, " Here is another obstacle 
to my voyage," and redoubled his speed. 

Then the gentle Spirit of the Mountain stood forth 
on its summit, and cried to him : 

" Do not mistrust me, Hanuman. Rest awhile on 
my Mountain. I have journeyed up through the 
rough billows to bring my summit near to thee. The 
kindly Wind, thy father, saved me once from danger ; 
—I should be glad, O noble Hero, if thou wouldst 
pause upon my Mountain !" 

Then the courteous Simian smiled kindly on the 
Mountain Spirit. 

" It was generous of thee, O Mainaka," he said, " to 
force thy way through the waters, to afford me a reSt- 



CHAP. XIII 



The Spirit 
of the Sea 
tells Main- 
aka that 
Hanuman is 
i?i peril. 



Mainaka 
rises out 0/ 
the sea to 
affo?-d him 
a resting- 
place. 



206 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Why 

Mainaka 
iv its thus 
hidden by 
tJie sea. 



ing-place. But tell me, why was thy golden-hearted 
Mountain sunk away thus, in the depths of the sea?" 
Then the Spirit answered : 

" In the early days the Mountains had wings, and 
could roam through Indra's world. But all creatures 
were in constant terror, lest they should be crushed 
by these flying monsters ; so the great Father, in 
whose sight life is precious, charged Indra to take 
their wings from the Mountains. But it is a glorious 
delight to fly. There is no joy in life to be compared 
to it. Who would not rather die than lay on one side 
his wings ? So I fled from the God's command. But 
Indra pursued me, and in his wrath burned my wings 
by Vajra, the Thunderbolt ! And he had slain me 
utterly, but that thy Father, the kindly Wind, who 
had fluttered often among my groves and prairies, 
snatched me up in his arms and carried me to the 
large-hearted Sea. ' Thou hast known sorrow,' he 
said to her ; ' have pity then and shelter this poor 
Mainaka.' So the generous Sea took me to her 
breast, and hid me away from the Storm-god. And 
I have dwelt many years beneath the waters ; but 
when I heard thou wast weary, Hanuman, in spite 
of my dread of Mahendra, I came forth to bring thee 
rest. Stay then on the summit of my Mountain, and 
then continue thy voyage refreshed." 

Then Hanuman raised his hands to his brow and 
saluted the golden-hearted Mainaka with an anjali. 1 

" O magnanimous Mountain Spirit," he said, "I 

i "The cavity formed by putting the hands together and 
hollowing the palms ; being in this form carried to the forehead 



SINHIKA SEIZES IIANUMAN'S SHADOW. 



207 



had gladly rested on thy pleasant slopes, but I 
promised my comrades to perform this exploit without 
taking any repose. But to show I am grateful for 
thy courtesy — see — I lay my hand on thy brow, 
in token of friendship. Farewell, Mainaka, I must 
no longer linger;" and with that he continued his 
journey. 

Then Indra, Lord of the Firmament, smiled down on 
the golden-hearted Mountain. 

" Rest without fear, noble Mainaka," he said; "for 
this kindness thou hast shown to the messenger of 
Rama, I forgive thy rebellious petulance about that 
matter of the wings." 

So the golden-hearted Mountain, all a-flutter with 
trees and verdure, remained in the midst of the sea ; 
once more brightened by sunbeams, and sung to by 
birds and zephyrs. 

Meanwhile, an old Rakshasi, by name Sinhika, 
who was hungry, saw the gallant Monkey sailing on 
through the air. 

"It is a grateful chance," she thought, "which 
brings this large creature here, just when my hunger 
is so keen." 

Then she seized the shadow of Hanuman between 
her claws. 

The illustrious Orang-outang, feeling himself shaken 
from side to side, as one who is dragged by the cloak, 
looked down to the surface of the water, and saw 
Sinhika holding on by his shadow, with her large 

it is an appropriate salutation to a superior." — Wilson's Sanscrit 
Dictionary. 



Chap. XI 11. 



Hanuman 
thanks the 
Mountain, 
a?id con- 
ti7ittes his 
his voyage. 



Indra allows 
the Moufi- 
tain to re- 
main in the 
midst qf the 
sea. 



Sinhika 
seizes Ha n it- 
man's 
shadow. 



208 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



Ilanuman 
kills Sin- 
hika. 



Reaching 
the coast of 
Lanka, he 
meditates on 
what course 
to pursue. 



mouth open wide, expecting him to drop into it ; 
and her bleared eyes shut, because they were not 
used to look up to the sunlight. So, doubling himself 
together for a spring, Hanuman darted into the 
monster's throat and, with his claws tore his way 
out through the evil creature's back ! 

So Sinhika died ; and that was a very good thing, 
for she had destroyed many harmless beings by that 
way of catching hold of their shadows. 

That was the last adventure which befell the he- 
roic" Simian ere he reached the shores of Lanka. 
Swooping down on the beach, the daring Son of the 
Wind rested awhile to take breath, and to reflect on 
what it behoved him to do next. 

" Here I am, in this Isle of the Rakshasas !" he 
laughed ; "to traverse the sea has been a mere excur- 
sion of pleasure to me ! Now, how am I to accomplish 
the rest of my mission, and discover the retreat- of 
Sita?" 

So, taking his chin in his hand, the Orang-outang 
pondered the matter over. 

" These Rakshasas are a crafty race," he said ; 
"were I to be discovered in their city, they would 
doubtless suspect my errand; for they know the 
virtuous disposition of the Simian, and his sympathy 
with such of the human race as deserve encourage- 
ment. Were I to enter Lanka, clothed in this colossal 
shape, the curiosity of the public would infallibly 
awaken the apprehension of Ravana's confidential 
followers ; so, though it . hurts my vanity, I must 
assume more modest proportions." 



HANUMAN EXPLORES. 



209 



Accordingly Hanuman reduced his size to that of a 
cat; and when night had let down shadow on the 
- town, he sprang on to the ramparts, and, crouching 
down, surveyed the position from thence. The magni- 
ficence of this city, built by Visvakarman himself, 1 and 
of as surpassing splendour as Amaravati, the resi- 
dence of Indra, filled the intelligent Orang-outang 
with wonder. As the sky is adorned by its constel- 
lations, 2 so was Lanka embellished by its glorious 
palaces, high as the summit of Kailasa, and white as 
the clouds in autumn. There seemed no end to the 
turrets that tore through the blackness, and carried 
their wreaths of balconies close to the home of 
stars. 

At this hour the streets were silent ; but from these 
gorgeous palaces issued the sound of music, and the 
tinkling of the nupuras of the dancing girls came 
sweetly to him on the still night air. As he left his 
post, and crept stealthily along the deserted streets, 
the delicious odour of savoury dishes provoked his 
appetite, and revealed to him how merrily these jovial 
Demons whiled away the night. 

Some houses he passed, though, accepted the soft 
dimness night gave to them, and were very still ; love 
reigned within them ; that was why they respected the 
sweet mystery of night. 

Hanuman, profiting by his small size and great 
agility, examined every dwelling he passed ; and, as 
you may think, saw some strange and memorable sights. 

1 Visvakarman, the Celestial Architect. 

2 This comparison is translated from the Ramayana 

P 



Chap. XIII. 

At night/ail 
Hanumati 
coitimences ■ 
his search. 



THE ILIAD 01 THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 

Hanwnan 

enters the 
Palace of 
Ravana. 



He comes to 
the Harem 
of the Rak- 
shasa. 



At length he neared a magnificent Palace, the colour 
of the sun itself; pinnacles, that seemed so many 
beams fretted into radiant lace, ran up far into the sky ; 
whilst garlands of lights, like fire-blossoms of every 
colour, twined round and amongst its turrets. As a 
great forest is guarded by its lions, 1 so was this 
splendid Castle watched over by savage Rakshasas, 
clad in sombre garments, and armed with weapons of 
every description. 

These gigantic sentinels paid no heed to the diminu- 
tive Ape ; if they observed him at all, they despised to 
exhibit any sign that so insignificant a creature had 
attracted their attention. So Hanuman slipped by 
them easily enough, and found himself in the midst of 
a vast and lofty corridor. 

Keeping as near the wall as possible, the adven- 
turous Son of the Wind crept on towards a distant 
apartment, — whence proceeded vague music, such as 
the sea-nymphs make when whispering to the pink 
conch-shells. 

Strange light flashed on him as he put back the 
heavy curtains and looked in, — it glanced from the 
walls, that were studded with dazzling gems, which 
seemed so many lustrous eyes keeping guard over 
those who slumbered there ! Like roses that had 
swooned to earth, — drunk with the wealth of their own 
perfume, — a cluster of lovely Maidens, sunk in softest 
cushions, lay stretched on the floor, in calm and smiling 
sleep. Their soft breath tossed their filmy veils, and 

1 This comparison is translated. 



THE HAREM OF RAVANA. 



211 



played with the airy draperies that floated round 
them, like the mist around the star of morning ! 

Here, some beautiful, unconscious Child smiled in 
her sleep, letting her little pearly teeth glance from 
between her rosy lips :— There a more thoughtful 
Maiden sighed in the tender mournfulness of some 
dream of love :-One had flung her graceful arms 
around a dear companion's neck, and, even in slumber, 
seemed to be caressing him, with pretty childlike 
grace ; and with her blooming upturned mouth to be 
pleading, " Kiss me, please ! " 

" Is not this Svarga, the retreat of the Gods ? " 
asked Hanuman, amazed. 

But then he remarked a certain voluptuous frailty, 
that fluttered over all this loveliness, and gave it a 
tinge of light and warmth unlike the ethereal-radiance 
of heaven. 

"No doubt this is the Harem of the Monarch of 
•Rakshasas," he said. 

And this time he was right in his surmise. 

So, curbing his admiration, and doing his utmost to 
look sternly on the slumbering Maidens, the virtuous 
Ape stepped on into a further apartment, whence issued 
a sound like the muttering of distant thunder. 

It was Ravana snoring:. 

Thrown on a splendid couch, adorned by wrappings 
of gold and crimson, the magnificent Rakshasa lay sunk 
m a deep slumber. His brawny arms were thrown, 
back upon his pillow, and his large breast, with its 
many scars, was bare; his ten mouths were open, and 
his ten noses were snoring, all at the same time •— so 

P 2 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
reaches 
Havana's 
chamber. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



Mandodarl, 
f he Diamond 
among beau- 
tiful 
Women. 



Hanumans 
conscience 
misgives 
him, and he 
quits the 
Palaee. 



it was no wonder if the chamber were shaken by 
the noise. 

Nevertheless, beside him, on a lower couch, whose 
wrappings were of blue and silver, lay Mandodarl, 
the Diamond amongst beautiful Women, in a still and 
peaceful sleep. 

Her smooth young cheek lay upon her little hand, 
— the other hand hung carelessly over the couch's 
edge. The long, trailing lashes lay, so still — so still, 
— one might almost have feared this was a vision 
and no living woman, — only the mouth smiled ! The 
little dimples in the cheek smiled too, and seemed 
to say : " Do not be afraid ! Though I have such a 
wide, low brow, and such sombrous waves of hair, I am 
not stern, nor sad ; only passionate, — not at all stern ! " 

For a moment, dazzled by her unusual charms, 
Hanuman thought : " Can this be Sita ? " Then the 
impossibility of the Vaidehi's being thus tranquil 
and contented as another's bride than Rama's 
occurred to him. 

Also, at the same moment, his sensitive conscience 
misgave him. 

" I have gazed on the consorts of Ravana, in their 
sleep," he thought. " Is not this an abominable 
fault ?" — so, with modestly averted eyes, the conscien- 
tious Monkey picked his way cautiously by the lovely 
sleepers ; then slipping through the long corridor, 
and darting by the unwary sentinels, found himself 
once more alone with the night. 

He soon assured himself that he had been over- 
scrupulous : he had not intruded himself into the 



HANUMAN'S DESPONDENCY. 



213 



Harem for any personal gratification, but in the 
service of Rama. 

" And where should one look for a woman, save in 
the company of women ? " he said. — But this was an 
awkward reflection ; for it suggested that he had, as 
yet, failed to discover anything with regard to Slta. 

Walking on, absorbed in reflection, Hanuman had 
by this time reached the ramparts of the town. He 
seated himself on one of them, in a very melancholy 
frame of mind. 

" Why have I come here ? " he exclaimed, drooping 
his tail, and dejectedly gnawing his claws. "The 
Vaidehi is not at Lanka ; or perhaps, unable to 
bend her to his pleasure, this monster, Ravana, has 
devoured her ! How am I to return with such mourn- 
ful tidings ? The noble Rama will assuredly die of 
a broken heart, when he learns the fate of his 
large-eyed Slta. Lakshmana will not survive his bro- 
ther ; and then, what chance of life will there be for 
Bharata, orKausalya, or any one of the Queen-Mothers? 
Sugriva, the Monarch of Apes, will assuredly expire 
under the weight of these misfortunes ; and Tara, 
seeing thus a second husband abandon her, for the 
empire of Yama, will, beyond a doubt, choose to perish 
on the same funeral pile ! Angada, who has so tender a 
love for his mother, will certainly refuse to live without 
her ; — and if he die, I do not see, for my part, how the 
whole Simian tribe will be able to exist any longer ! I 
will never be the herald of these misfortunes. On 
these shores I will erect a pyre, and forthwith take my 
departure for Yama's world, amid its purifying flames ! 



Chap. XIII. 



Hamiman 
enumerates 
the evils 
that will 
restdt from 
his unsuc- 
cessful 
search. 



214 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
in the asoka 
grove. 



He sees a 
group of 
hideous 
Rakshasis. 



Or I will espouse the ascetic life of an anchorite in 
these woods of Lanka. The joys of life are over 
for me ! " 

^ Thus the impulsive Offspring of Marut bemoaned 
himself, shedding copious tears the while. Presently 
crept over earth and heaven a faint grey light, pro- 
mising the advent of dawn. 

"It will never do for the Rakshasas to find me 
here," thought Hanuman. So, springing to his feet, 
he fled for shelter to a grove of flowering asokas that 
was near at hand. 

The trees were all in blossom ; and, as he passed 
under them, they pelted the mournful Simian with 
their yellow petals. The birds, too, sang with the 
evident desire of encouraging him ; and, as he neared 
a little thicket of oleanders, a River, that ran through 
it, began to murmur in the most significant manner. 

Somewhat consoled, Hanuman climbed into a 
sinsapa-tree, and concealing himself in its foliage, 
waited till day should break. When at length the sun 
drowned the dreamy grove in a golden shower, he 
climbed to the topmost branch, and scanned all the 
pathways of the wood. 

The impulsive Son of the Wind could scarce contain 
his exultation at the sight which met his eyes ! At a 
little distance from him stood a group of hideous 
Rakshasis. Some of them had large, flapping ears, 
in which they might have utterly enwrapped their 
faces— which would have been a good thing, so ugly 
were they; others had no ears at all. Some of 
them had snouts like wild boars, with yellow pro- 



SIT A FOUND. 



215 



jecting teeth ; the noses of others grew out from the 
centre of their skulls. Some were quite bald ; others 
had long shaggy hair, that hung in tangled wisps, or 
stood out straight round their distorted faces ! 

In fact, it was quite curious to see how much variety 
there can be in ugliness. 

Like a Star, in the clutch of the monster Rahu, 
Sita sat, surrounded by these virulent Hags ! The 
Simian had no doubt about it; the moment his glance 
fell on her, he knew who it must be ; there were not 
two such visions of loveliness ! 

She was seated on the grass ; her black, silky hair 
streamed down to the ground, and lay, heaped up 
in a gleaming mass, beside her ; her eyes were down- 
cast ; on their long lashes gleamed two brilliant 
tears, that would not fall ; her mouth — it was so 
small a mouth to be so sad ! — trembled a little,— that 
was the only movement ; her arms stretched forth, — 
her little hands clasped, — were flung heedlessly to the 
side of her, and had fallen upon the glossy coils of 
hair : she seemed quite to have given up hope ! 

She wore a silken tunic of a soft, bright, amber hue ; 
its tint had not lost its tender brilliancy, as the 
Recluse, Anasuya, had foretold; and surely it was 
the holy Woman's favour which made the youthful 
Princess still retain the blooming charms that Rama 
loved; for grief is more cruel to beauty and youthful- 
ness, as a rule. 

Presently, swung through the wood the sound of 
music and merriment; and, drawing nearer and 
nearer, the silver laughter of the nupuras of the 



Chap. XIII. 



Sita is sit- 
ting among 
the Rak- 
shasls. 



216 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 

Ravana 
comes to visit 
Slid. 



The Rak- 
shasa seeks 
to win Sita 
by fair pro- 
mises. 



Dancing Girls. It was the Lord of Rakshasas, es- 
corted by a brilliant company, who came, thus early, 
to visit his captive. 

Like some beautiful, wild creature brought to bay, 
Sita sprang to her feet; and shaking her long hair 
round her, stood, — one hand holding to the trunk of 
a tall tree, the other held to her breast to still its 
tumultuous beat. As the Lord of Rakshasas ad- 
vanced to her, alone, — the others falling back some- 
what to let him speak unheard, — Sita met his amorous 
gaze with bright defiant eyes, and Hanuman saw 
the mighty Ravana pale and tremble somewhat ; 
whilst the frail and timorous Sita never shrank nor 
faltered ; — and thus he learnt how much more powerful 
is love than fear. 

Then the Rakshasa, his impassioned eyes bent on 
her, spoke, in softened tones : 

"Why dost thou gaze on me thus wildly, Sita? 
Have I been so harsh to thee ? Child ! child ! am I 
thine enemy because the love of thee has so taken up 
my soul that life has no delight nor warmth save in thy 
presence ? The tears are heavy on thy lashes, O my 
Queen ! And yet joy beckons thee. My wealth, and 
power, and all the pleasant luxuries of my court, are 
thine ; stoop only to gather them, my fawn-eyed Sita. ! 
Let me hang jewels in thy silken hair, and robe thy 
peerless form in raiment like the sun ! Thou shalt 
choose to wait on thee the loveliest maidens in this 
isle of Lanka ; my Lords and Warriors shall be thy 
slaves ; and I, their Monarch, will sit me at thy feet, 
and read thy pleasure in thy dark large eyes! 'Is 



RA VAN A 'S LOVE AND SlTA 'S. 



217 



there a caprice or fancy in all thy little, wayward heart, 
that I, Ravana, could not gratify ? Power is dear to 
the heart of woman : — Come to my breast, O my Be- 
loved, and I will set thy beauty on a throne, whither 
it shall draw to the light scorn of thy small feet the 
adoring homage of the universe ! Sita, my Love, 
— the life of man is scant : — There is an ardour in 
the pulse of youth that strains towards a sense more 
rich and large than any human mind can com- 
prehend ! Here I invite thee to this fuller Life, 
my Bride ! Transcend the limits that narrow thy de- 
light, — and, in the frenzy of a love like mine, drain 
utterly the draught that mortals barely sip, — and 
know the blaze and splendour of* that Fire, of which 
all human passion is but the scantest spark ! " 

The clear untroubled gaze of Sita seemed to look 
far on into the sunlit distance, and quite to lose the 
dark Ravana, who, shaken by his strong emotion, 
stood before her with heaving breast and flashing eyes, 
and hands that clutched each other desperately. 

" You speak to me of passion," she said, " and Fire ; 
of throbbing pulses, and longings for more full delight : 
Love has another sense to me ! — It is a Radiance, not 
a Flame, and kindles rather Light than Heat ! Has it 
a Heat at all ? It may be — yet, if it burn, it is that it 
may shine the more ; and passion is only Love's minis- 
ter ! Love ! — I have known its rapture, — O King of 
Rakshasas ! I, your Captive, have known its rapture ! 
Think you to waken unholy Fire in the breast where 
reigns a Star? to drag down to lust a heart that has 
been given wings? to tempt, by voluptuous heat, 



Chap. XIII. 



Sitas 
answer. 



218 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Sttd defies 
Ravana. 



Charxiil J one who has known the glory Brahm has made the 
Heaven of Life, where luminous souls flash out like 
suns, letting day in upon the gloom ? " 

Then, holding out both her arms, as though she 
beheld the Dasarathide standing before her in the 
path, she cried out loud : 

" Rama, my Lord ! my Life ! my Love ! he thought 
this ! This Ravana thought to blow my passions to a 
flame by his impure desires ! Rama, my Lord ! I 
who have held converse with thy high soul, and learnt 
to aspire in following thy thoughts,— he sought to 
beguile me by the unholy ardour of his words ! O 
Rama, O my Love! this Demon with a thousand 
crimes upon his head, a thousand vices in his soul, 
who has torn me from thy dear arms and brought this 
anguish into both our lives, comes to me and says : 
' For all my guilt, and vice, and for the wrong I have 
done thee, and because there is not so vile a creature 
in the empires of water, earth, and air, therefore love 
me, Sita !' — and, O my Lord, he stands there as though 
he doubted of my answer!" 

She finished with a little scornful laugh, — that died 
into a sob. 

In her defiance and her scorn of him a new charm 
was given to her beauty :— this radiant creature, with 
the warm young arms outstretched, the quivering 
upper lip, and eyes that flashed through the mist of 
tears, had for him a more bewildering enticement, 
even, than the bashful Sita, who had welcomed him 
in the hermitage of Panchavati. 

" Hear me !" he cried, in broken, passionate 



RAVANA ASKS SITA'S PITY. 



219 



tones : "revile, upbraid, taunt me, — yet be my Bride ! 
I do not ask thy love — only forbear to hate me. Oh, 
thou shouldst not hate me ! They say the heart of 
woman opens soon to pity ; I, the Lord of Rakshasas, 
would claim, at least, thy pity. Hearken — I suffer ! 
Thou art a torture to me ! Fevered, maddened 
almost in thy presence, away from thee I am wrung 
by fiercer torments than any known in Tartarus ! Is 
my suffering nothing to thee? Wilt thou not have 
mercy ? Wilt thou not let me seek to conquer thee by 
tenderness ? Oh, if there be any womanly softness in 
thy nature, show me, at least, this mercy ! " 

Flung on the earth, he dragged him to her feet, 
and covered them with kisses. 

Sita answered : 

" I belong to Rama, as radiance to the sun : — Give 
me back unto my Lord : — Repair this fresh guilt thou 
hast taken on thy soul, and I will plead with my 
Beloved, and say, ' Forgive him, Rama, he is penitent' 
Thus will I show thee mercy ! " 

Then the Demon sprang upright and scowled 
darkly on her. 

"Thou shalt never see this Rama more," he said ; 
" on that score set thy mind at rest ! Let me warn 
thee, too, to make less frequent mention of a name I 
hate ! " 

Then Sita broke into disdainful laughter : 

" Thou dost well to hate it ! " she said j " the name 
of my Avenger — Rama ! Rama ! Rama ! He will be 
here anon, — a Lion among the sons of men ! The 
Gods are with him, and the hearts of all the living 



Chap. XIII. 

Rdvana 
asks for her 
pity. 



Sita 's reply. 



Rdvana's 
wrath. 



Sita taunts 
Rdvana. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. Xli: 



The 

Rakshasa 
threatens 
Jier with 
death. 



creatures upon earth ! Oh, there is a force in virtue 
that cannot fail ; for this world is Brahm's, and Justice 
is His Law ! Tremble, tremble, Ravana, for Rama is 
upon thy traces ! Thou art a great Serpent, O King 
of Rakshasas ! But he is like Garuda, the Sovereign 
Eagle, who rids the earth of vipers ! " 

Stung by her reproaches, the Rakshasa turned 
on her with a look of menace : 

"Thou art a woman," he said. " Thy insults reach 
me not .-—otherwise, thou shouldst die, here, and now ! 
But mark me well, O Vaidehi ; I have sought to stir 
thy ambition — the quality is not thine ; to touch thy 
heart— thou hast closed it against me. There remains 
one other weapon— -fear ! I give thee one month to 
bend thee to my will j thou shalt yield then ! I say 
thou shalt yield— if thou choose not rather to die I " 

And with that he turned him on his heel. Then 
Mandodari, the Diamond among beautiful Women, 
crept near, and smiled up into his face. 

" Wherefore waste fire on ice, my Lord ? " she said. 
" Love, unrequited, is all torture ; but 'tis pleasant 
when flame rushes forth to meet flame ! " 

Her bewitching glance drew his down to her. As 
he put his arm round her the Dancing Girls broke out 
a-singing, and led the way back to the monarch's 
palace. 

Now all this while the Listener in the sinsapa-tree 
had had much ado to restrain his indignation. It was 
fortunate that Ravana had been too absorbed, and 
the Rakshasas too alarmed by their Sovereign's por- 
tentous countenance, to have thought for anything else ; 



THE RAKSHASlS' PERSUASIONS. 



otherwise they must have remarked how overhead a 
small Ape was for ever shifting his position and spring- 
ing from bough to bough. As it was, Hanuman saw 
the hideous females once more gather round the Jana- 
kide, who, spent by her late excitement, and over- 
powered by Ravana's parting threat, had sunk faint- 
ing on the grass. 

Then Vinata, or the Crooked One, leant over the 
half-conscious Sita. 

" My child," she said, " thou hast shown clearly thy 
fidelity to thy husband. Thou hast been very virtuous, 
and I commend thee ; but it is an error to carry aught 
to an extreme; the moment for thee to yield has 
come, and such an excess of constancy resembles 
foolishness. Really, this Ravana is a consort to be 
proud of. Is he not of colossal stature ? Has he not 
ten heads? Not to speak of his wealth, and rank, 
and power ! Come, be reasonable, and put this 
miserable Rama out of thy head." 

Here Vikata, or the Bowlegged, interposed. 
"What is the good of all this talking?" she 
shrieked. "If she still resist, let us tear her limb 
from limb, and devour her, to prove our loyalty to the 
King of Rakshasas ! " 

Then a third Rakshasi, Hayamukhi, or the Horse's 
head, approached the cowering Princess. 

" Be not wilful, Sita," she said. "Youth and beauty 
are capricious gifts ! If even the Dasarathide discover 
thy hiding-place, who can say that he will care to take 
thee back to him, when grief and fasting have im- 
paired thy charms? Respond to Ravana's flame 



Chap. XIII. 



Their king 
gone, the 
Rakshasis 
seek to con- 
quer Sita 's 
resolution. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



The Rak- 
shasis con- 
sult to- 
gether, and 

Trijata 
warns them 
not to harm 
Slid. 



then, and enjoy some pleasure while there is yet 
time ! " 

Again the Bowlegged interrupted her. 
"We have already shown too much forbearance," 
j said this fury ; " let us make our meal of her forth- 
j with ! When I first looked on this young Sita — What 
round plump limbs, I thought ; would she not make 
a delicious feast ? It must have been a presentiment ! 
Come, my Sisters, let us make everything ready for the 
repast ! " 

Weeping bitterly, the drooping Vaidehi cried, " Do 
what you will with me ! Why should I care for 
death — I, who find life only in my Rama's presence ?" 
The Rakshasis, who had been strictly charged by 
Ravana not to injure a hair of Sita's head, though they 
might seek to intimidate her by the most dreadful 
threats they could think of, drew off a little, and began 
to consult in low voices how they might conquer their 
captive's resolution. Now amongst the company was 
an old Rakshasi, named Trijata. 

"Beware," she said, "how you illuse the Princess 
of Mithila. Last night I dreamt that Rama, the 
Dasarathide, slew all who had oppressed or tormented 
Sita. Only the irreligious and the foolish disregard 
dreams ! Besides, watch now her countenance • see 
with what intentness she is listening to the singing 
of some bird ; the Immortals give the lower creatures 
power to converse with her; that is a proof they 
regard her with favour ! " 

At that, the Rakshasis looked nervously at Sita, 
who had raised herself to a sitting posture; and, 



HANUMAN'S DEVICE. 



223 



pushing the heavy hair back from her brow with 
both hands, was listening with a rapt expression 
» of countenance to a bird, who sang to her of Love, 
and Home, and Rama ! Alarmed, — her keepers 
retired out of earshot; sitting them down in a 
circle, they began to consult, putting their heads 
close together. 

"Now," thought Hanuman, springing from bough 
to bough in his agitation, " is a favourable opportunity. 
If only this lovely Princess do not take me for an 
enemy, and, with the excitability natural to her sex, 
scream or faint ere I have time to explain my 
errand ! " 

The intelligent Ape bethought him that the name 
of Rama would be the most efficacious method of 
assuring Sita of his friendly intentions. 

"Alas !" he exclaimed, in an audible voice, "there 
is a virtuous Prince, named Rama, who is in sore 
affliction ! An evil Demon has stolen the Bride that 
was the treasure of his soul ! And, ever, this noble 
Prince laments in the hearing of all living creatures : 
' Who is there that will bear a message to my Queen ? 
Who is there that will bid her wait, and trust, and 
believe my, love is strong to rescue her? W T ho is 
there that will tell my Darling I shall be with her 
soon, and hold her once more folded in my arms ? ' " 

Then Sita, a joyous wonder beaming on her face, 
looked up into the sinsapa-tree. But as she saw- 
there only a little Ape, watching her with anxious 
eyes, her gaze fell mournfully. 

"Ah me ! " she sighed, " it was a dream !" 



Ck.ap. xiii. 



To attract 
Sltd's atten- 
tion Hanu- 
man tells 
aloud the 
grief of 
Kama. 



224 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 

Sita thinks 
Iter mind 
has/ailed 
her. 



NevertJie- 
less she ques- 
tions the 
Ape in the 
sinsapd-tree. 



And then she sighed again, "Ah me ! Yet it was 
not a dream ! Too surely am I sitting within this 
Wood of the asokas ; and the cruel Rakshasis are 
still in sight ! My brain is failing me ! I am going 
mad!" 

And so she clasped her temples with her hands, 
and seemed to be struggling to convince herself of 
somewhat. 

" Now, here's an awkward thing ! " said Hanuman, 
swaying him forward and back in his anxiety; "if 
she persuade herself that her senses are astray, she'll 
take me for a Phantom, and not credit a word I 
speak ! " 

But presently, to his surprise, Sita clapped her little 
hands together, and broke into a low, wild laugh. 

" Madness ? " she cried. " So be it then ! The great 
good Father has pity on me :— 'I cannot stop the march 
of Destiny, my Child ! ' he says ; < but I will so wrap 
thy senses round, that they shall not be wounded 
by the rough edges of events.' Madness,— say men. 
Unconsciousness of pain,— say I. I joyously accept 
the pity of my generous God. Yes, since it brings me 
tidings of my Love,— since it tells me that Rama goes 
a-mourning for his little Bride, and seeks, and soon, 
soon, will find, and rescue her, since it brings this 
comfort, in the dark,— gladly I put forth both my 
hands and snatch this blessed madness to my 
soul ! " 

So, with a sweet, wild smile, she looked up once 
more into the tree. 

"Who art thou, little Ape, with the eager eyes?" 



HANUMAN MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO SlTA. 



225 



she asked. " Did I not hear thee speak of Rama a 
short while back ? " 

The Son of the Wind hastened to reply : 
" I am Hanuman, the humble friend of Rama. I 
have leapt across the sea to bear a message to his 
Queen. If, radiant Lady, you be this Slta for whom 
the Dasarathide grieves, take comfort; for your Lord 
will soon snatch you from Ravana's hand ! " 

Slta, still scarcely crediting her ears, implored him 
to tell her of her Lord. 

"How fares he?" she asked, eagerly; "and the 
gallant Lakshmana, the Warrior with the laughing 
eyes ? What has chanced since Ravana carried me 
off from PanchavatI ? — Thou dear little Monkey with 
the brilliant eyes, tell me, I pray thee, all that has 
befallen ! " 

Then Hanuman related how the two Heroes had 
found the noble Vulture, Jatayu, who, ere expiring, 
told them their enemy was the dreadful King of Rak- 
shasas; further, he told of Rama's alliance with Su- 
grlva, Monarch of Simians ; and of how he, Hanuman, 
"had been sent forth, together with a powerful com- 
pany of Apes, under the direction of Angada, to 
scour the country of the south. Then he told of 
their despondency, and their meeting with the aged 
Vulture, Sampati ; and of how he had been chosen 
to traverse the sea, and explore the isle of Lanka. 
" And doubt not, Princess, whose beauty is like the 
smile of Lakshmi," said the courteous Ape, in con- 
clusion, "that Rama and Lakshmana will fly to thy 
rescue : for joy has left them with thy presence. 
Q 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
tells Slta he 
is Rama's 
messenger. 



At Sita s 
request he 
tells -what 
has befallen 
since her 
abduction. 



226 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
offers to 
carry Sita 
back to 
Rama. 



Rama no more delights in the beauty of woods, nor 
flowing rivers : when dawn crimsons the sky, he sighs, 
' Alas, my Sita ! ' And when night spreads her azure 
wings, he weeps, ' My Love ! my Sita ! ' " 

Then the Princess of Mithila exclaimed : 

" O Hanuman, sweetly bitter are these tidings thou 
dost bring to me ! I grieve to hear my Rama suffers ; 
yet scarcely could I wish his pain were less, since that 
were to desire him callous to my fate. Thou mag- 
nanimous little Ape, return swiftly, and bear my 
tender greeting to my dear Lord ; salute the brave 
Lakshmana too from me, and charge them to lose no 
time — to lose no time ! Ravana has given me but one 
month to live ! " 

At that the impulsive Simian sprang down from the 
sinsapa-tree. 

" You shall not stay an hour in this monster's 
power ! " he cried. " Trust me, O Lady with the star- 
like eyes ! Mount on my back : I will carry you 
across the sea, and bring you to your Rama with no 
more delay ! " 

" Thou Pearl amongst Quadrumanous Creatures," 
answered the Vaidehl. " Though thy heart is mighty 
as the valiant Indra's, thy body is but as a slender 
cat's : how couldst thou bear my weight, good Ha- 
numan ? " 

Straightway the puissant Orang-outang resumed his 
huge proportions. 

" How think you, August Lady ? " he cried ; " am 
not I able to bear your slender weight ? " 

Then Sita saluted the mighty Son of the Wind : 



SITA'S MESSAGE TO RAMA. 



227 



" O illustrious Simian," she said, " thy power equals j Chap. xrn. 
thy courage ! Yet — be not angry with me, friend — j suffuses 
I will wait here for Rama. Were it not almost a I £/ww 
shame to him that another should save his Bride? * 



Rama. 



Tell him his little Sita awaits him in captivity, and 
will owe her rescue to none other than her Beloved ! " 

" Be it as your Highness wills ! " returned Hanu- 
man, a little sadly. " Only, I pray you give me some 
message to the noble Rama, that he may be assured 
I have seen and talked with you." 

Dropping her eyes, bashfully, she answered : 

" Once, when our exile was young, and we dwelt 
on the Mount Chitrakuta, I lay in my Hero's arms, 
and looked up into his face with love. We were 
alone, on the hill-side — seated beneath some flowering 
shrubs. In sport, my Rama plucked a branch, laden 
with many blossoms, and with their crimson sap 
traced a tilaka 1 on my brow. So, later, I rested my | 
forehead on his breast ; and when I raised it, lo ! a 
red tilaka was stained there too ! And we laughed ! 
greatly at that ; for our hearts were full of love — and ' 
when that is so, a small thing gives happiness. 

" There was none near ; only the still blue over- ! 
head, and round us the fluttering leaves. Tell Rama 
of the red tilaka; he will know that you have seen 
his Beloved." 

So Hanuman performed a pradakshina round the 
Janakide ; and bade her, respectfully, farewell. After- 

1 " Tilaka, a mark on the forehead and between the brows, 
either as an ornament or a sectarial distinction." — Wilson's 
Sanscrit Dictionary. 

Q 2 



The story 
Hanuman 
to tell Rama 
to prove k? 
has seeii his 
Bride. 



228 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Hawaiian 
tears up tke 
grove. 



Rcvvana or- 
ders hh 
guards to 
capture or 
slay Hanu- 
man. 



wards, he sprang up into the tree again, and pre- 
pared for his return. But there was hot indignation 
in his heart. 

" Shall I quit this isle of Lanka, and do no damage 
to this Ravana, who has dared to menace the peerless 
Bride of Rama ? " he said. 

So he set about tearing up the trees in the asoka 
grove, and to defacing the monuments and grottoes 
it contained. In alarm, the Rakshasis ran up to Sita, 
round whom the impulsive Hanuman had left the 
trees still standing. 

" Who is this destructive Ape ? " they asked. " You 
would do well, O Princess, to answer us without 
disguise ! " 

Sita answered : 

"Since my captivity in this island I never know 
who any one may be : you Rakshasas change your 
forms at pleasure ; how can people recognize you ? " 

When they saw she would tell them nothing, they 
ran to their monarch, crying : 

" A monstrous Orang-outang has broken down the 
grove of asokas ; but we are ignorant whether he has 
held any intercourse with Sita." 

" Capture or slay this mischievous Ape ! " said 
Ravana, negligently, to the Kinkaras, his guards of 
honour. So eight thousand warriors rushed forth 
against the noble Simian. The agile Son of the 
Wind sprang out of their reach, into a mighty nya- 
grodha-tree ; then bounding on to the roof of a lofty 
palace, he uprooted a huge column of marble, and 
swung it round his head with a shout : 



HANUMAN ABOVE THE DOORWAY. 



229 



" I am Hanuman, the Messenger of Rama ! " he 
cried. "Death to Ravana, and this evil city of 
Lanka!" 

Then, hurling the pillar amongst them, he crushed 
the whole army of Rakshasas ; so that the ground was 
covered with their mutilated corpses! Then the 
excellent Hanuman sprang up to an arch, that headed 
the doorway of the Palace, shouting : 

" Victory ! victory ! Live Rama, and Lakshmana, 
and Sugriva, the Monarch of Apes ! I am Hanuman, 
the Marutide; a thousand Ravanas could not con- 
quer me ! " 

His cry of triumph reached Ravana. Still some- 
what negligently, the monarch turned to Jambumalin, 
the illustrious son of Prahasta. 

" Do not return till thou hast slain this Boaster ! " 
he said. 

Rolling his eyes, that rage had crimsoned, the 
fierce Jambumalin rushed forth to the combat. 

Hanuman quietly awaited him, perched above the 
doorway. 

The Rakshasa aimed an arrow that struck the 
heroic Ape on the cheek ; with a shriek of rage, the 
illustrious Orang-outang uprooted a sinsapa-tree, and 
hurled it at Jambumalin. But the Rakshasa shot it 
into splinters with his arrows 1 Then Hanuman tore 
up a sala-tree, and flung that at his enemy; but 
again the Demon broke it into fragments, and 
with another arrow wounded the Marutide on the 
breast. 

Seizing, again, his marble pillar, Hanuman made it 



Chap. XIII. 

Hanuman 
uproots a 
pillar and 
crushes the 
Kinkaras. 



Ravana 
sends Jam- 
bumalin 
against 
Hanuman. 



230 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 

Hanuman 

kills Jambit.- 
maiin. 



The sons of 
the ministers 
slain by 
Hanuman. 



spin round his head, as he shrieked, in an ecstacy of 
rage; then, dashing it down on Jambumalin, the 
tiger amongst warriors, he crushed the gigantic 
Rakshasa into a formless mass — dreadful to look 
upon ! 

Having thus destroyed his enemy, the triumphant 
Orang outang sprang up to his post above the door- 
way, shouting : 

" Victory ! victory J Long live Rama, and Laksh- 
mana, and Sugrlva, King of the Simian tribes ! Who 
comes next to seek a greeting from Hanuman, Son 
of the Wind ? " 

When he heard the taunting shout, the mighty 
Lord of the Rakshasas sprang to his feet in wrath. 
"Who will slay me this insolent Ape?" he cried, 
with his eyes aflame. 

At his summons bounded forth a hundred young 
warriors, the sons of the ministers, eager as coursers 
of war for the combat. Armed with numerous 
weapons, and mounted in splendid chariots, drawn 
by prancing steeds, impatient for the battle-shout, 
these young Heroes sallied forth against the gallant 
Simian. 

Perched in the aperture above the door, Hanuman 
waited till they were within an easy distance. But, 
when they bent their bows, he disconcerted their aim, 
by springing, suddenly, into the air, far, far above the 
reach of their arrows ; — then, with a hideous screech, 
that froze their hearts with terror, the dreadful Son of 
the Wind, pillar in hand, swooped down on them, 
like Garuda upon a nest of serpents ; and, ere they 



THE FIVE WARRIORS OF RENOWN. 



231 



could break their serried ranks, or think of flight, he 
massacred them, as Indra's hailstones beat down the 
flowers ! 

When he beheld these young warriors stretched, 
lifeless, at his feet, the victorious Simian established 
himself, as before, on the summit of the doorway. 

Then five Warriors of renown, Yupakhya, Viru- 
paksha, Durdharsha, Praghasa, and Bhasakarna, im- 
plored the Monarch of Rakshasas to send them forth 
against Hanuman. Ravana bade them go. 

" But," said he, " beware of regarding disdainfully 
this Quadrumanous Creature ! For my part, I am 
convinced he is a Being of a superior race, who has 
disguised him in the body of an Ape. I have 
encountered many heroic Simians; as, for example, 
Balin, the Monarch of all Apes, whose vigour won my 
esteem in past days ; but even that Elephant among 
monkeys was incapable of the daring shown by this 
insolent giant ! " 

Having obtained the Monarch's permission, the 
five Heroes leapt forth to the encounter, eagerly as 
the flames rush up to devour a sacrifice. 

When they saw the colossal Orang-outang, calmly 
surveying them from his eminence, rage took posses- 
sion of their hearts. 

Durdharsha first aimed an arrow that struck 
Hanuman in the neck; then he lashed his steeds 
nearer, and as he advanced covered the undaunted 
Ape with showers of arrows. But when the Warrior 
was close to the doorway, Hanuman, with a sudden 
cry, let himself fall upon the chariot ; it was shivered 



Chap. XIII 



Ravana 
sends five of 
his best war- 
riors against 
Hamn/ian. 



Durdharsha 
slain by 
Hanuman. 



232 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Yufiakhya 
and Virii- 
fiaksha 
slain. 



Praghasa 
and Bhasa- 
karna meet 
the same 
fate. 



Aksha, Heir 
to the throne, 
is sent next 
against 
Hauuman. 



into fragments, and the Rakshasa hurled from it 
lifeless ! 

Then up rushed Yupakhya and Virupaksha, with 
clubs and mallets upraised: but the gigantic Ape 
tore up a lofty palm-tree, and beat down first their 
weapons, then themselves ; so that swiftly they joined 
Durdharsha in Yama's world. 

Enraged at the spectacle of their comrades' fate, 
Praghasa and Bhasakarna, armed, the one with an 
axe, the other with a lance, rushed at the intrepid 
Simian, uttering cries for vengeance. Hanuman, 
stained by blood, arrows everywhere quivering in his 
colossal frame, waited for them to come near ; then, 
seizing a huge rock, all overgrown by large shrubs 
and plants, he hurled it at his adversaries with a shout 
of fury. 

The two Warriors disappeared beneath the whelm- 
ing mass.— Once more Hanuman was alone, but for 
the corpses of his foes. 

Seated again in the aperture, the mighty and in- 
domitable Ape seemed like the Death-god, reposing 
after the slaughter of worlds. 1 

Then Aksha, the Heir to the throne, a youth 
merely, but who had already made himself a name 
in the battle-field, flung him at the feet of Ravana. 

" If thou hast any love for me, Lord and Father " 
he cried, « grant me next to combat this Hero ! " 

Then Ravana, smiling to see his ardour, motioned 
the youth to be gone. Seizing his bow, the gallant 
Aksha sprang into his golden chariot, and lashed 
1 This comparison is translated. 



AKSHA, THE BOY WARRIOR. 



233 



his milk-white coursers on, amid the bodies of the 
slaughtered Rakshasas. When the noble Son of 
the Wind saw this new opponent, his heart was filled 
with compassion. 

" This Hero is still but a Child," he thought ; " it 
were against my will to slay him in an hour when life 
seems filled with beauty ! " 

Accordingly, wishing to spare Aksha, the gallant 
Orang-outang sprang to the ground, and struck the 
chariot a blow with his clenched fist, so that it was 
overturned, and the snow-white horses lay dead 
amongst its fragments. 

But, nothing daunted, the gallant youth sprang up 
from amid the ruins, and, by virtue of his great self- 
macerations, bounded up through the air to meet 
Hanuman. 

" Well done, O valiant Simian ! " he shouted ; " but 
as yet thou hast not triumphed ! Come, let us mea- 
sure our strength here, in Indra's world ! " 

When he saw that Aksha's daring only augmented 
with the combat : 

" There is no help for it," said the magnanimous 
Ape, regretfully. " A fire that increases 1 cannot be 
despised ; I cannot let pity for this hot-headed Boy 
imperil my mission ! " 

Thereupon he seized the young Warrior by the 
feet, and flung him down head foremost. — So Aksha, 
the lion-hearted young Warrior, the joy of the city of 
Lanka, lay cold and dead on the breast of the one 
earth-mother ! 

1 This comparison is translated. 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
is touched by 
Aksha's 
yotith and 
seeks to spare 
his life. 



Aksha's 
valour 
makes Ha- 
numan put 
forth his 
strength, and 
the yotith is 
slain. 



234 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII. 



Indrajit goes 
forth against 
Hammian. 



He wounds 
Hanuman 
with a magic 
arrow and, 
has him 
fettered. 



When he knew that, a cry of grief and rage mounted 
up to Ravana's lips : 

" Indrajit ! " he shouted ; " Pride of my heart ! 
dost thou hear ? Aksha, thy brother — the Boy with the 
sunny smile — is dead I Up, Warrior whose limbs are 
like young fir-trees ! Avenge me thy brother's death; 
capture or slay this monster! Destiny has kept this 
triumph for thee, who hast already made the world 
quake by thy exploits ! Indrajit, return not without 
this murderer J " 

Then, gravely Indrajit rose; and, when he had 
performed a pradakshina round Ravana, he leapt into 
his chariot, drawn by three savage lions, whom he 
urged forward by dreadful shoutings. 

Hanuman, leaping into the air, hovered above the 
chariot, taunting the fierce Indrajit, and making 
sport of his arrows. 

But Indrajit, in compensation for long years of 
self-inflicted penance, had received a miraculous 
Arrow from the hands of the Immortals. Wounded 
by this supernatural Dart, the intrepid Son of the 
Wind, his strength paralysed, his vigorous limbs 
numbed by an icy chill, fell crashing down to earth, 
and lay, incapable of motion, on the ground. 

Then, from every palace and hovel in Lanka rose 
up a shout of triumph. Forth rushed the Rakshasas 
and Rakshasis, eager to jeer and deride an Enemy 
they no longer dreaded. A troop of officious Demons 
bound the gigantic Ape with cords, and fettered him 
with iron chains, so that his hands and feet were 
linked together. 



HANUMAN IN RAVANA >S PRESENCE. 



235 



Then the stern Indrajit, who had kept silence 
through the combat, as now, in this hour of triumph, 
drew forth the miraculous Arrow, and holding the end 
of the cord by which he was bound, motioned Hanu- 
man to follow him. 

"If only he conduct me into the presence of 
Ravana ! " thought the intelligent Ape. " When one 
is in the hands of Demons, it is better to have to 
deal with their King; who is at least intelligently 
malevolent, and cognisant of self-interest." 

He soon perceived that his wish was about to be 
realized; for Indrajit paused before the splendid 
palace he had entered the preceding night. The 
Rakshasa, dragging Hanuman after him, entered the 
Assembly room, where sat Ravana amid his courtiers. 
The Monarch, robed in gorgeous raiment, was seated 
on a throne of crystal. On a dais at his feet were his 
four principal ministers ; and again, at their feet, sat 
the princes and first lords of the Rakshasas. 

The mobile nature of the illustrious Ape was much 
impressed by the external splendour of the Rak- 
shasa's court. 

" Beyond a doubt, were he not a slave to injustice, 
this Ravana were a magnificent Prince," he thought. 
Ravana, sternly and in silence, bent his twenty ter- 
rible eyes upon the Orang-outang; then, turning to 
Prahasta, the most eminent among his ministers, he 
commanded him to question the Prisoner. 

Then Prahasta, standing forth, demanded : 

" Who art thou, Warrior ? Assuredly thou art not 
what thou seemest, a simple Ape. Wherefore hast 



Chap. XIII. 

Indrajit 
leads his 
captive be- 
fore Ra- 



The minis- 
ter Pra- 
hasta ques- 
tions Hanu- 
man x 



236 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Hamiman 
tells his 
errand. 



thou assumed this disguise ? What cause has brought 
thee to this isle of Lanka ? Art thou sent hither by 
Indra, or Kuvera, or Yama ? Wherefore didst thou 
destroy the asoka grove ? and why hast thou slain the 
Servitors of the resplendent Lord of Rakshasas ? " 

Then Hanuman answered, courteously : 

"Illustrious Rakshasa, I am that I seem. This 
Orang-outang's body is the wonted garment my spirit 
wears. I am called Hanuman, he of the broken Jaw : 
I come here on a mission from my Sovereign, Sugrlva, 
King of the Simian Tribes." 

Then, bowing to Ravana, he addressed himself to 
the Demon with the ten heads : 

" Resplendent Lord of Rakshasas ! " he said, "if I 
destroyed thy grove, it was to gain admittance to thy 
presence. As for thy Servitors, they assailed me — 
not I them ; and if I slew them, it was in self-defence. 
My King— Sugrlva— greets thee, O Ravana, and wishes 
thee prosperity and health. He has charged me to 
inform thee, that thou hast, unlawfully, in thy island, 
a daughter of the human race, the august Sita, Prin- 
cess of Mithila, wife of Rama, the Dasarathide — he 
who is known in the three worlds as the Friend of 
Living Creatures. My Lord, Sugrlva, doubts not this 
woman has been brought here by an error. ' Is not 
Ravana a king ? ' he says ; ' has he not much know- 
ledge and science? Cannot he procure beautiful 
maidens to wife, if such be his pleasure ? It is not 
possible that lie has stooped to covet the wife of 
another ! ' Therefore he says — send back this illus- 
trious Lady to her lawful spouse, and make, by 



HANUMAN WARNS RA VANA. 



237 



presents and excuses, what amends lie in thy power, 
to the noble Rama, — and he, Sugriva, will intercede 
with the Prince for thee. 

" On the other hand, my Sovereign says, if thou 
refuse to give back this Sita, then know that there is 
war between the Simian tribe and thee ! Know that, 
from all nooks and corners of the earth, monkeys, of 
every race and breed, will flock to the battle-cry 
of Rama ! Know that Lakshmana, - the gallant 
brother of Rama, has terrible renown; his enemies 
fall before him as the forest trees before the tempest ! 
Know that men and animals, and the elementary 
forces of the universe, are with Rama ; that the Im- 
mortals are with him too ; that his own great soul 
has the heroism and power of a God's, and that 
before its wrath this splendid town of Lanka and 
thou, its Lord, will vanish as foam before a gale ! " 

Maddened by the audacious words of Hanuman, 
Ravana's eyes flushed a cruel red. 

" Lead this insolent Ape forth from my presence," 
he shouted, "and let him die ere an hour have 
passed ! " 

But when Vibhishana, the noble brother of Ravana, 
whose nature revolted against the depravity of the 
Rakshasas, heard that Hanuman was condemned to 
death, he hasted to fling himself at the foot of the 
throne. 

" O magnificent Ravana ! " he cried, " do not do 
thy fair fame this discredit ! The life of an ambas- 
sador is sacred ; be this Ape never so guilty, it were 
to harm thy reputation to slay him. For, Hanuman 



Chap. XIII. 



Hanuman 
says, if Slid 
be not re- 
stored, Ra- 
ma, at the 
Jiead of the 
monkey 
tribes, will 
destroy 
Lanka. 



Ravana's 
wrath. 



Vibhishana 
begs that 
Hanumaris 
life may be 
spared. 



238 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIII. 



Rav ana- 
commands 
that H ami- 
man's tail 
shall be set 
onjire. 



Sltas 
prayer to 
the Fire. 



dead, what Rakshasa would dare take thy defiance to 
Rama? And if he hear not from thee, will not the 
Prince attribute thy silence to fear of him ? " 

The Monarch was silent awhile, pondering with 
scowling brows. Then a cruel smile overspread his 
countenance. 

"Thou sayst well, Brother," he exclaimed; "to 
slay this vile Creature were an error. But he shall 
not go unpunished. Vanity is a characteristic of 
monkey nature ; and his tail is ever a matter of fond 
satisfaction to a Simian's mind : let my Servitors, 
without delay, set fire to the tail of this Hanuman. 
So shall this precious Rama behold his envoy become 
the laughing-stock of all living creatures ! " 

At these words of Ravana, six vigorous Demons 
seized on the poor Hanuman. When they had dragged 
him out of the palace, they proceeded to envelope 
the beautiful appendant, in which he had always felt 
great pride, in cotton ; then, having saturated it in oil, 
they applied to it a lighted torch. 

Having been told what was going on, the malicious 
Rakshasls, who had charge of Slta, dragged her into 
the streets of the town. 

" Thy Friend — that large Ape who broke down the 
asoka grove — is about to have his tail set on fire ! " 
they said, jeeringly. 

Then the tender-hearted Slta, clasping her two soft 
palms together, whispered, under her breath : 

" O Fire ! ruddy Fire ! beside whose flame I vowed 
to be fond and true to Rama — if I have kept my vow, 
be good to Hanuman ! 



THE FIRE IS GOOD TO HANUMAN. 



239 



" O Fire, that art so pure, and yet so warm ! if 
Rama's soul be clear and eager as thyself, pity his 
friend ; be good to Hanuman ! " 

Then the Fire, leaping up in a bright golden flame, 
played round the tail, as though it were performing 
a pradakshina, and did not burn it ! And thus it 
answered the gentle Princess : 

" I am good to Hanuman ! " 

Presently the Marutide began to marvel. 

" How is this ? They have set fire to my tail ; yet 
does it feel no ill, but only a soft warmth, which 
caresses its tip most pleasantly ! " 

When he understood that this was because of the 
intercession of Slta, his courage and daring revived. 
He bethought him of a plan to be free of his bonds. 
Reducing his size to that of a grasshopper, he stepped 
out of them easily enough, and swiftly resuming his 
gigantic proportions, he shouted aloud: 

" I am free once more : — Hanuman, the fearless 
Son of the Wind!" 

Terrified by this miracle, the Rakshasas fled, 
screaming, before him ; and soon the heroic Simian 
was left standing alone by the gateway of the 
town. 

" Even so," he laughed, " I would fain do one 
more stroke of work ere taking my departure." 

So saying, he sprang on to the roof of the nearest 
dwelling; and lashing his tail, round which the fire 
still played, from side to side, soon set the palace in 
a blaze. The kindly wind blew the conflagration 
into fury ; so that soon all Lanka was wrapped in 



Chap. XIII. 



The Fire 
plays round 
Hamcmari s 
tail without 
burning it. 



Hanuman 
makes him- 
self small, 
and steps out 
of his bonds 



He springs 
on to the roof 
of a palace 
and sets it 
on fire with 
his tail. 



240 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIII 

Lanka, 
being ifi a 
Haze, he is 
alarmedfor 
Slid. 



He finds her 
safe beneath 
the sinsapa- 
tree. 



He shouts 
ere starting 
on his home- 
ward jour- 
ney, and his 
friends 
know he has 
triumphed 
by the sound. 



flames ! Then a terrible apprehension flashed across 
the impetuous Monkey's brain. 

" I have forgotten to warn Sita ! " he thought. " My 
Queen, the lovely Vaidehi, whose eyes are like the 
dreamy lotus flowers, will perish here ! " 

And, without more ado, he was about to fling him 
also into the angry fire. 

But just then a second thought came : 
"If, at her intercession, the flame respected even 
my worthless tail, how much less would it dare to 
injure the precious Bride of Rama?" 

So, much comforted, he rushed to the cluster of 
trees still standing, where once was the asoka grove ; 
and there he found Sita, safe and sound, with a dash 
of sunlight in her dreamy eyes ; whilst the Rakshasls 
crouched, shivering, round her. Once more Hanu- 
man renewed his assurances of returning soon with 
Rama ; and having received more messages, for both 
the noble Dasarathides, he left the Princess sadly, 
often looking back, and often repeating : " We shall 
soon return ! " 

Then he climbed the Mount Arishta, and stretched 
out his arms towards the opposite shore. As he 
bounded forth, on his homeward journey, he gave one 
shout of triumph ; and Angada and the other Apes, 
hearing it, said : 

" Hanuman, the invincible Marutide, has succeeded 
in his mission, or he would never have this voice of 
thunder ! " 



CHAPTER XIV. 



NALA BUILDS A MOLE ACROSS THE SEA. 



"My loyal Wild Men of the Wood," said Rama, 
• the Dasarathide, to the faithful Simians who sur- 
rounded him, "ye have heard the story of this 
magnanimous Son of the Wind. Can ye not fancy 
how my impatient heart already rushes forth to where 
my Princess, with many longings, waits for me? 
Friends — if I have your love, let us delay our march 
no longer ! " 

When he heard the tremor in Rama's voice, Su- 
griva, the affectionate Simian, knelt down to him. 

" Thou hast our love, O dear Prince ! ; ' he said, 
" and we will march forthwith : do thou direct us. 
Because thou hast treated us as friends, it pleases us 
to be thy servants." 

As their Monarch spoke, the whole Band shouted 
for joy that the time for action was come, and 
Lakshmana handled his mighty bow, and laughed 
aloud. Then all gathered round the noble Dasara- 
thide, to hear the order he would have them keep. 
Standing on a little hillock, his eyes surveying the 
host, Rama issued his commands. 



Chap. XIV, 

Rama 
appeals to 
the Simians, 
and asks 
them to set 
forth 
ivithout 
delay. 



Sugriva 
bids Rama 
determine 
the order of 
their march. 



24- 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV. 



The enthu- 
siasm of the 
Wild Men of 
the Woods. 



"Let Sugriva be in the midst of the army," he 
said ; " a King is the centre round which the people 
gather. Nila, with a chosen band, shall precede the 
host ; at its head shall march the giants Naya, Gaya, 
Gavaya, and Gavaksha ; as in the prairie the large 
Buffaloes lead on the herd. Let the noble Simian 
named Rishabha, because he is a Bull amongst Apes, 
command the right wing ; the left shall have for chief 
Gandhamadana, whose impetuous valour is like that 
of an elephant in the season of the rut. Mounted 
on Hanuman, as Indra on the celestial Airavata, I 
will follow ; and near me Lakshmana, borne by the 
illustrious Angada, shall seem a second Siva, carried 
by the supernal Bull ! Jambavat, Sushena, and 
Vegadarsin shall protect the rear. Thus, if it seem 
good to thee, O magnanimous Lord of Quadru- 
manous Creatures! will we determine the order of 
our company." 

" Let the noble Rama be obeyed ! " cried Sugriva. 

But though the chiefs quickly assumed the posts 
assigned them, they had much ado to keep up any 
sort of discipline amongst the impetuous Wild Men 
of the Woods. Shouting and leaping, they made the 
forest tremble again, and wakened all quadrupeds 
and fowls, who had retired for the night, with their 
loud cries of: 

" Long life to Rama, the Beloved ! Death to 
Ravana, the Enemy of Living Creatures ! " 

Then the little Birds within their nests, and the 
blameless animals from out their dens and holes, 
answered : 



THE MARCH. 



243 



" Oh that it may be so ! Oh that the just may 
triumph ! " 

Amidst the turbulent Band, Rama moved on, as it 
were, deaf to their loud shoutings ; seemingly uncon- 
scious that he was the cause of their enthusiasm. 
Since the loss of his Beloved there was a vague sad- 
ness habitual to him ; life had lost colour and dis- 
tinctness—he told himself. Lakshmana, who alone 
ventured to break in upon this absorption, pointed 
upwards to the starlit sky. 

"My Brother," he said, "mark how, through the 
night, the heavens smile down. Seems it not a 
promise that our expedition is pleasing to the stars ? 
See the Maharshis, 1 whose light is kissing through the 
air; and Trisanku, 2 the Rishi among Kings, our 
Ancestor, who flames there aloft, and whose beams 
fall here upon my hands; and the pure and still 
Visakhas, 3 whose calm eyes rest on us with such a 
peace ! Surely the stars are gentle ? Would not 
there be a tremor in their gaze if evil threatened the 
fragile Sita, whose beauty is as dreamy as their light ? 
As a rule, night hangs grief upon the world ; yet it 
seems as though to-night the fair earth smiled behind 
her veil of shadows ! Note, too, how, as we pass, the 
trees shake away sleep, and open out their blossoms 
into the dim light, spilling the perfumes it is their 
wont to hoard up for the sun. Rama, my dear Lord, 
amongst these genial signs canst not thou hold high 

1 Maharshis — constellation of the Great Bear. 

2 Trisanku — -vide chap. iv. p. 70. 

3 Visiikha s— stars situated in the constellation of the Scales 

R 2 



Chap. XIV. 



Lakshmana 
seeks to 
encourags 
Rama. 



2 4 4 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIV. 



J? a ma's 
lament. 



thy heart ? Thou art marching now to conquer back 
the Radiance of thy life ! " 

"Ay," he answered; — "meanwhile I suffer in the 
dark." 

On, through the winding pathways of the forest, 
and over the trackless steeps of the Mount Vindhya, 
marched the Simian host, taking no rest till the 
coast was reached. There they encamped, full of 
perplexity about the transport of this large company 
to the shores of Lanka. Followed by the faithful 
Lakshmana, Rama climbed the Mount Malaya, 
and looked far across to where a wall of blackness 
bounded the white, wrinkled sea. Presently his for- 
titude broke down. 

" So long ! " he cried, his two clasped arms held 
out. " So many Hours quite lost ! So much of 
Fervour and of Beauty missed ! How shall all 
this be given back to me — since Life itself is 
short, — too short for Love ? Ye joyous Gods, 
look down — see, at the best, how transient is 
Man's lot. Each moment spends it; Time drives 
him ever on, and at each step — weeping — he leaves a 
fragment of his soul ! Can he turn back to gather 
them ? O deathless Gods ! these joys that have thus 
fallen, fallen from my life, can I— the Slave of 
Yama — turn back to gather them ? When the grey; 
dreadful Cloud sweeps on, with resolve to quench 
my heat of being, will the o'erwhelming mass be 
stayed awhile, because I have been mulcted of half 
my days ? Shall it be counted me how many suns 
have failed to rise on me, because my soul was, oh ! 



YE T AM I BE RE A VED ! : 



245 



so drenched with tears, it could not taste the flush 
and glory ? Or shall the nights be given me, for rest, 
that I have paced the lonesome wood, fire eating 
through my heart, whilst dark-winged slumber over- 
spread the earth, and held all else in peaceful 
trance ? O just, large-hearted Gods, who meet 
men at a Moment, face to face— drawn down from 
highest Heaven ye— we raised from abjectness to 
the central air, to taste the Divine weakness, the 
human Apex, Love! — since that ye know the Ecstasy, 
have felt the Pain sublime, say, how shall all the 
treasures of my Sita's love, her sweet caresses, and 
gentle whispered words, her smiles, that broke up 
my manhood's gravity, her tears, that held my heart 
back from growing stern, and that mysterious union 
of wedded love, which thrills sense through with 
spirit, and takes man into Nature's inner soul, showing 
him the Halo that dwells upon her Laws ; how, how 
can this be compensated ? If even I bear the burthen 
of my life, and all the slow, torturing delay a war 
involves, upheld by hope of winning thee again, — 
yet, yet, my Sita, of these long hours of my youth, 
spent in the dark and chill for lack of thee, have I 
been robbed — and yet am I bereaved ! " 

Thus mourned he, and Lakshmana dared not essay 
to comfort him ; there was a passion in his grief that 
warned ofT sympathy. 

In a while his mood changed. He flung him, face 
downwards, on the cliff, and spoke so low, that 
through his voice was heard the sobbing of the 
waves. 



Chap. XIV. 



246 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV. 

Rama calls 
to Slid 
that he is 
near her, 
a7id a voice 
ansivers she 
is conscious 
that he is. 



The a7'rival 
o/Vibhl- 
shana. 



"My Love — my Child," he said; "my Little 
One with the large wistful eyes ! 'thou dost wait 
for Rama,' 'thou dost long sore for Rama' — didst 
thou speak thus, O gentle One ? Thy Rama is not 
far — not far from thee, my Dove ! And they 
did give thee but one month to live? Only one 
month— thou little frightened Bird? Beloved! Be- 
loved ! before the month be passed my arms shall 
be around thee. Be not afraid; let not the ugly 
Rakshasis crush thy timid heart ! Sita — canst thou 
not feet thy Lord is near?" 

He ceased. To Lakshmana was no sound, save 
the sobbing of the waters, and the low moaning of 
the wind ; but to Rama's ears came the words : " I 
feel my Lord is near ! " And, comforted, he put his 
arm about his brother's neck • and the two came 
down the mountain side together. 

Now, during their absence, the Monarch of Apes, 
accompanied by Hanuman and Angada, had gone 
down to the beach to watch how the waves, like un- 
wieldy creatures at a boisterous game, rushed up, one 
after the other, their white, unkempt hair of foam 
streaming madly on the wind. The cold light of 
early morning was already stealing over sea and sky. 
Presently, sailing towards them overhead, they beheld 
a monstrous Cloud, that took form as it drew nearer, 
and appeared a colossal Rakshasa, from whose dusky 
wings fell sinister shadows. Hanuman recognized 
Vibhishana, Brother of Ravana, the Scourge of the 
Three Worlds. He was followed by four other Demons, 
armed like himself, with different sorts of weapons. 



THE DESERTER FROM LANKA. 



247 



" These malignant Creatures thought doubtless to 
surprise us in our sleep ! " exclaimed Sugriva. " Let 
us at once alarm the camp." 

But Vibhishana called to them : 

"Do not fear me, magnanimous Orang-outangs ! 
I have come here to ally myself with Rama. Often 
have I sought to persuade my cruel brother to re- 
store Sita to the noble Dasarathide. Thus have I 
earned his enmity ; and Ravana is vindictive and 
malicious. In peril of death, then, I have fled his 
court, and am come to implore the succour of this 
Prince, who is known as the Friend of Living 
Creatures !" 

Now Sugriva was far from being convinced of 
the sincerity of Vibhishana's professions. However, 
he at once recounted to Rama what had taken place. 

"This Rakshasa requests an interview with thee, O 
Elephant among men!" he said; "but do not thou 
trust him, my Prince. It is more likely that Ravana 
has sent him hither for our ruin, than that he seeks 
protection from his own brother ! Give the word, 
noble Rama, and we will forthwith slay this traitor !" 

"Nay," interposed the noble Angada, "let us not 
slay him, ere we have proved his treachery. If the 
magnanimous Rama permit, I will question this 
Vibhishana, and discover the true motives of his 
coming." 

"That were difficult/' said Hanuman. " Think- 
est thou, Prince among Simians, that one who 
would stoop to treachery would shrink from false- 
hood ? For my partj I believe this Rakshasa. has 



Chap. XIV. 



Vibhishana 
says he has 
come to ally 
hiitiselfwith 
Rama. 



The 

Simians \ 
mistrust 
him. 



2 4 8 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV 



Rama says 
it is not 
law/7^1 to 
reject a sup- 
pliant. 



heard how Balin was slain, and the throne given 
to Sugriva, and has thought, 'Who can say, but 
if I serve Rama, the sovereignty of Lanka may be 
mine?'" 

Then Rama, who had listened to them all, spoke : 
" There was, we are told in the Vedas, a Vulture 
pursued once by an Eagle. Seeing no refuge, he 
called to the Dove, and implored her to give him 
shelter. The gentle Bird did not hesitate, but con- 
cealed her natural enemy in her nest ; and that was 
accounted right by the Gods. My Friends, it is not 
well to doubt another; the true heart trusts! Nor 
is it well to turn from any suppliant. He who allows 
his enemy to perish for want of succour, loses to him 
his merits of past virtue, and is burthened by the 
other's' faults; this, too, is written in the Vedas. 
For me, the oath of the Kshatriya 1 has never re- 
leased my memory. 'I promise,' said I, then, 'to 
make the security of all living creatures my care; 
and to spare in battle the Enemy who, imploring 
mercy, says: 'I yield me!' Bring, then, this Vibhi- 
shana before me ; were it Ravana himself, I could 
not refuse him hospitality ! " 

Whilst the others hung their heads, Hanuman ran 
and fetched Vibhishana ; and when he was near to 
Rama, the Rakshasa laid down one by one his 
weapons of warfare, and his followers did the same. 
Then they prostrated themselves before the noble 
Dasarathide, and Vibhishana said : 

" I have lost friends, and power, and country; but 
1 Oath of the Kshatriya— vide Note 1. 



THE ADVICE OF VIBHISHANA. 



249 



if the noble Rama will let me serve him, I shall regret 
none of these." 

At that, the Raghuide 1 raised him courteously, and 
embraced him on the brow ; and when the impres- 
sionable Simians saw that, their enthusiasm was 
kindled, and they shouted : 

" Long live Rama, the Beloved, and his new Ally 
the mighty Vibhlshana ! " 

Sugriva and the other chieftains now gathered 
round the Rakshasa, to consult how the passage of 
the army was to be effected. 

"Is not the illustrious Rama a descendant of 
Bhaglratha, by whom the beloved Ganga was led to 
the arms of the ocean?" asked Vibhlshana. "Let 
this heroic Prince claim a safe passage from the 
generous, though turbulent, Sea : she will not refuse 
it him." 

" Nay," said Sugriva, " Indra himself could not 
conduct so vast an army across this world of waters, 
unless it were spanned over by a bridge." 

" If that be so," cried Lakshmana, " we will forth- 
with set to work, and fetter these restive billows with 
a bridge ere the day be done !" 

"Thou dauntless Lakshmana!" returned Rama, 
with a mournful smile, "the thing is not so easy ! With- 
out her leave, this boisterous Sea cannot be spanned ; 
and even so, not one, but many days' toil will it take, 
to reach the shores of Lanka ! Yet, as Vibhlshana 
says, this generous Ocean owes us a favour. I will 
down to her shores forthwith, and seek an interview." 
1 Ragku— son of the Sun-god, and ancestor of Rama. 



Chap. XIV. 



Rama e7n- 

braces 

Vibhlshana. 



They consult 
how the 
.arjny is to 
traverse 
the sea. 



250 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV. 

Rama seeks 
an interview 
with the 
Spirit of 
the Sea. 



On the third 
day there is 
still no 
answer 



So the sinless Prince went down to the beach of 
silvery sand, torn through, here and there, by dark 
and jagged rocks; and here he made a couch of 
sacred grass, and knelt there, taking neither food, nor 
drink, nor any sleep at night. 

And ever he kept his gaze fixed on the shifting 
waters— until his eyeballs ached, and vision was \ 
pain. The first day he saw nothing — nothing save 
the dark, vaulted waves, with ashen manes, who 
burst out of the Sea's profounds, and roaring ever 
on one note, rolled up to him dark matted coils of 
weed, that seemed the hair of drowned men ! Night 
came on slowly, slowly; but the monotonous roar 
slept not. White Birds, like Phantoms, whirled 
round the Watcher's head; there were some stars 
on high, that seemed to shudder ; out far upon the 
watery desert, a lambent, phosphorescent flame 
flickered and played fitfully amid its terrors. Then 
came the dawn— and with it the ocean's mood was 
hushed; blue grew its waters; the ripples there 
seemed but so many smiles ; still no sign for Rama. 
The sun sank down into the flushed wavelets, and 
night came on again. A fresh day dawned— still 
there was no sign ! 

On the third day Lakshmana broke in on Rama's 
solitude. 

" No answer yet, Brother ?" he asked. 

The noble Raghuide sprang from his knees with 
flashing eyes ! 

"No answer, O Lakshmana!" he shouted. "Be- 
cause I have been patient, and shown gentleness, I 



THE SEA-SPIRIT. 



251 



am a scorn to this ignoble Sea ! There are on whom 
all just persuasions are thrown away, and to whom 
one must ever speak in words of menace. Give me 
my bow, Tiger amongst Warriors, and my arrows, 
like fiery serpents ! My wrath shall overwhelm this 
ungrateful Sea, who forgets all she owes our race ; my 
darts shall search the depths, and reach her active 
fish, with brilliant scales; her sharks, and whales, 
and lazy monsters, who love not motion ; her coral 
reefs will I break down, and destroy her palaces of 
dazzling gems ! Thus will I teach her I am powerful, 
though I stooped to speak of friendship." 

So saying, the wrathful Dasarathide shot an arrow 
into the deep heart of the main, and the Queen of 
flood and river flung up her arms of surge ; and 
crocodiles and huge monsters, unknown before to air, 
were upheaved and hurled against the sky. 

Then the small fish, whom she loved, came in 
shoals to their Queen, imploring her not to provoke 
the Dasarathide further. The Sea comforted her 
children, and putting on one side the waves, rose, 
beautiful and wild, attended by four dolphins with 
breath of flame. Robed in nacreous azure, that had 
the pearly lustre one finds in shells, garlands of scarlet 
flowers amid her heavy hair, soaked through, and 
dashed with spray,— she with the lustrous eyes, the 
Sea-spirit — stood on the darkling waters, her hands 
raised to her smooth brow, to pay the Heroes the 
reverence of an anjali. 

"Rama," she said — it seemed the song of waters on 
sultry nights when the moon's kisses ruffle the som- 



Chap. xiv. 

Rama 
losing 
patience 
threatens 
the Sea- 
spirit. 



The Spirit of 
the Sea 
appears to 
Rama. 



252 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV. 



TJte Sea- 
spirit bids 
them con- 
struct a 
mole. 



brous blue—" it is not well to loose thine anger thus. 
The Earth, the ^Air, the Light, have each their pro- 
vince ; I, too, have mine. We gods are but the 
eldest-born of God ; in the beginning He laid a Law 
on us, by some called Nature— we obey; man only 
chooses to assert that he is free— to err; for us, the 
Will of Brahm is our necessity. I cannot quit the 
order laid on me in the early days ; my billows may 
not be fettered by any bridge : but build a mole across 
to Lanka, and I will give thy Simians a safe passage 
to Havana's Isle. Let Nala, son of Visvakarman, 1 
who has inherited his father's skill, construct this 
mole. I will prevent my sharks, and crocodiles, and 
other monsters from interfering with the work; my 
impetuous waves, too, will I hold back. This will I, 
Rama, for love of thee, and gratitude to those who 
gave thee life. Let not this bring me dishonour in 
the world of men. Not from cupidity nor cowardice 
do I give thus a pathway through my kingdom, the 
home of dangerous monsters and innocent bright- 
scaled fish ; if, for love's sake, I let thee ford my 
depths, do not despise me, O Hero with the sinless 
soul !" 

Rama and Lakshmana bowed them low before the 
beautiful Goddess of the Sea ; when they rose, the 
fair Spirit had sunk back into her unfathomable 
world. 

Without delay the Dasarathides told the Simians of 
the promise of the Sea. Then turning to the colossal 
Ape, Nala, Lakshmana asked : 

1 Visvakarman — vide Note 2. 



NALA, SON OF VISVAKARMAN. 



253 



" Whose son art thou, Bull amongst Quadrumanous 
Creatures?" 
. Nala laughed. 

" Once, up in the hill country," he replied, "Vis- 
vakarman, the celestial architect, met my mother, the 
beautiful Ape, on the mountain of Mahendra. Her 
unusual charms won his favour ; I, noble Raghuide, 
am the issue of their union, and my father's skill is 
mine !" 

" Also, it is to thee we will confide this structure," 
returned Rama. 

So all the company of Apes, shouting in their eager 
joy, spread them over the face of the country, up- 
rooting salas, and bamboos, and asvakarnas, and 
huge trees of every description ; breaking off rocks, 
and rolling up mighty stones for the building of this 
mole, which was to chain Ravana's Isle. Sugrlva, 
leaping from brow to brow, flung down crashing mass 
after mass he had torn from the mountains ; Angada 
broke the summit of the Mount Dardura, and hurled 
it into the abyss ! Under the direction of Nala, a 
hundred thousand Apes leapt into the passive waters, 
laden with shrubs and stones ; and in the liquid waste, 
as though by miracle, surged up a solid path, that 
grew ever, like some huge serpent, stretching it slowly 
towards Lanka. 

The Rishis, the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, and 
Garuda the Monarch of Fowls, hung overhead, held 
in admiring wonder by this stupendous spectacle. Indra 
sent fleecy clouds, to refresh the toiling Simians with 
bright rains, and the good Marut gave them fresh 



Chap. XIV. 



Nala 
tells his 
parentage, 



To him is 
entrtcsted 
the direction 
of the 
builders. 



The con- 
struction of 
the mole. 



254 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIV. 

The 7iiole 
is finished. 



breezes, that they might not faint beneath the great 
fatigue. 

At length the mole was done ; and a mole of ten 
yojanas' width parted the vast ocean-field, and bound 
fast the evil isle of Lanka to the southern coast. 

"Who has bound with a chain these coasts to- 
gether?" asked the Charanas and Vidyadharas in 
amaze. 

"Rama!" shouted the Simian band. "He is 
marching at our head to rescue Sita with the starlike 
eyes." 



CHAPTER XV. 

RAMA AND LAKSHMANA, WOUNDED BY INDRAJIT, 
ARE RELEASED FROM THEIR TRANCE BY GARUDA, 
KING OF BIRDS. 



Night. Ravana, the Scourge of the Three Worlds, 
stood alone upon the ramparts of the pleasant town 
of Lanka. When they had told him that his enemy 
had made a pathway through the trackless sea, and 
in a few hours, at most, would reach the island he 
had thought impregnable — he had laughed. 

That was when he stood surrounded by his cour- 
tiers ; now that he was alone, shadows round him, 
and in his soul dense blackness, there was yet a sneer 
upon his lips, and bitter mockery in his eyes. Scorn 
for the Gods, for man, for nature, for himself, had 
swayed his life ; Scorn, the master-passion of the Fiend, 
now reached its triumph hour, and, in a burst of 
evil exaltation, mocked at despair itself ! 

For he was not deceived ; he knew his Hour had 
come. 

Standing there, with folded arms, he watched the 
Simian army coming ashore in serried companies, 
and ranging themselves along the beach. The dis- 
tance and the dimness lent a weird terror to the sight. 



Chap. XV. 

Ravana, 
learning 
that his 
efiemies have 
traversed 
the sea, 
knows that 
his time has 
come. 



256 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XV. 



Ravana in 
his despair 
shows no 
repenta?ice. 



He consults 
the 

Magician 
Vidyujjihva. 



The 

Rakshasa 
enters Sit as 
prison. 



No sound was heard ; the shore was too far off for 
any tramp of feet to reach that solitary Watcher. 
At length the Rakshasa spoke : 
"It is near," he said. " The more reason that I 
should be swift : Love first— then Revenge ! After, if 
needs must, Death ! " 

And so he left the ramparts. 
When he reached his palace, he sent for the Magi- 
cian Vidyujjihva, and the two spent the night in 
close consultation. At first hint of dawn, the Monarch 
of Rakshasas, followed by the Wizard, sought the 
clump of trees which Hanuman had spared out of the 
asoka grove ; and where, in a cavern, hidden away by 
oleanders, rich in blossoms, the Vaidehi was kept a 
prisoner. 

Motioning Vidyujjihva to await him without, 
Ravana pushed on one side the flowering boughs, 
stepped lightly by the slumbering Rakshasis, and 
entered the inner cavern. The pale morning had not 
penetrated here ■ yet a strange light irradiated the 
crypt. Lustrous stalactites hung from the roof, and 
their liquid radiance touched with sheen the leaves of 
the twining plants that clung to the rocky walls ;— 
there, too, gleamed a spray of crystals, that looked 
like dew T drops, through which light smiled. 

This tearful splendour seemed to concentrate itself 
about the youthful Princess. 

Darkness upon him, the Rakshasa paused on the 
threshold, watching her. She sat, wrapped in her som- 
brous hair, the soft silk amber of her garment peer> 
ing through its heavy waves : one arm, bare save for its 



RA VAN A 'S LAST APPEAL. 



257 



golden bracelets, was thrown across her lap :— the 
beauty and the roundness of this arm troubled the 
enamoured Demon. Slta did not stir, yet she slept 
not ; her large, mournful eyes watched the cavern 
wall, with a fixed, hopeless stare, which proved 
that the long captivity had broken her young spirit 
down. Even when she saw Ravana standing there, 
his fiery gaze bent on her, she only shuddered, 
and turned her lovely face away; to reproach him 
now, or to seek to escape from him, was beyond her 
power. 

The Rakshasa knelt down beside her on the cavern 
floor. 

"Sita," he prayed, and the consciousness of 
approaching death lent a wild pathos to his voice, 
" the time has come for thee to yield ! Must I have 
risked my all in vain ? Nay, — thou shalt listen to me ! 
What did thy Boy-Love, Rama, to win thy childish 
heart ? Tis certain he sought it not ; chance led him 
to the country of Vaideha : and if he snapt the Bow of 
Siva, it was not love for thee which lent him ardour. 
Janaka gave thee to him as one gives a warrior a 
chariot, or a horse, in recompense for valour. But 
I, — my life itself have I not spared to purchase thee ! 
For thee, have I provoked the enmity of all living 
things ; for thee, have I defied the Gods, and outraged 
man ; for thee, have I fought, and sinned, and suf- 
fered,— ay, and do suffer now ! Thou art mine, Slta— 
mine, by right of guilt, and sacrifice, and loss ! Mine, 
— my own sweet Conquest! Into one deep abyss 
have I flung wealth, and power, and life. Time filters 
s 



Chap. XV, 

Slta in her 
prison. 



Ravana 
enumerates 
the risks he 
has incurred 
for her sake. 



2 5 8 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XV. 



Sita calls on 
Rama, and 
R avana 
says he has 
been slain. 



The 
Magician 

throws down 
a Head like 
Rama's. 



through my fingers ; — by Heavens ! I will be paid the 
Price ! " 

As he approached still nearer, Sita sprang to her 
feet. 

" Rama ! " she cried, " my dear Lord — help ! " 

" Look not to him for help," said the other, sternly. 
" Call on him no more, O Vaidehl ! Thy Rama 
is dead!" 

A passion of terror swept her against the rocky 
wall : she dragged, the hair back from her face, and 
stood looking at him, with wild, dilated eyes. 

" Dead ..." was shuddered between her paling lips. 

Ravana broke into a cruel laugh. 

" He crossed the seas," he said, " to murder me, 
and to destroy this town of Lanka. But, ere he had 
the time, my young warriors surrounded him, and slew 
him. So, ho ! Vidyujjihva, bring me here the head 
of the Dasarathide thou thyself didst sever on the 
battle-field ! " 

Then the Magician rushed into the cavern, and 
flung on the floor a Head, soiled with blood, and 
gashed by many wounds ; but which yet bore a re- 
semblance to the noble countenance of Rama. He 
threw down, too, a mighty Bow, which seemed the one 
Visvamitra had given to the Boy- Warrior long ago. 

Powerless to scream, or faint, or die, held motion- 
less by horror, Sita remained, staring at the hideous 
sight. 

" What can a Dead Man for thee, Pearl of Beauty ?" 
asked the Demon. " Mourn for him ; — waste thy youth 
away ; — weep thine eyes dull ; — moan thy sweet voice 



THE MAGICIAN'S STRATAGEM. 



259 



harsh ;— beat thy fond breast with passionate hands :— 
what then ? Will he or know, or care ? My Sita, life is 
more transient than a dream, since those who waken 
from it, or enter on another vision, forget the past has 
ever been. It is well to bury grief for those who have 
put off memory ; Rama is lost; there is no Rama! 
Wilt thou weep for the Non-existent ? Do men sing 
to the Deaf, or show colours to the Blind? That 
were less folly than to mourn the Dead ! Since there 
is none to share thy grief, nor to be grateful for it, 
take pleasure to thy heart ; divert thee with the living 
whilst thou mayst ; brim thy days full with joy — for 
time is passing— each moment is somewhat lost : O 
large-eyed Queen, Life is not long enough to waste 
an hour on grief!" 

His words were meaningless to her. At this mo- 
ment she flung up her hands : « Dead ! " she shrieked ; 
and fell, rigid, to the earth. 

Ravana sought vainly to restore her to conscious- 
ness. In desperation, he called in the Rakshasis ;— 
whilst he stood there, muttering curses on the feeble 
wits of women, a Messenger came to summon him to 
the Council, to hear the fortunes of the army he had 
ordered to inarch at dawn against the invaders. 

Now, amongst her guardians was an elderly Rak- 
shasi, named Sarama, whom the beauty and misfor- 
tunes of the gentle Princess had touched with pity. 
When the Demon had departed, she took the faint- 
ing Sita in her arms, and, bending tenderly over her, 
whispered comforting words in her ears. 

" He is not dead, my gentle Singing-Bird/' she 
s 2 I 



Chap. XV. 



Sita faints, 
and Ravana 
is summoned 
to the 
Council. 



260 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XV. 

Sarama 
comforts 
Slid. 



The Head 
vanishes. 



TJte tidings 
of Prahasta. 



said ; "thy Hero is not dead. It was a cruel trick of 

magic, meant to conquer thee by robbery of hope. 

Open thine eyes, be not afraid, oh, fragile as the 

lotus-flower ! See, see ! the ugly thing has vanished ; 

it was but a lying vision. Rama lives, and is near thee 

even now ! " 

At that the fluttering heart of Sita took courage ; 

she dared, once more, to look around; and sure 
enough the pale Head, with its cruel crimson streaks, 
had vanished. 

Then Sarama told how she had heard Ravana and 
the Wizard plan this scheme for persuading Sita her 
Hero was no more. Further, the kindly Rakshasi 
narrated the landing of a vast army, that seemed to 
have sprung from the bosom of the sea. 

"And," added she, "there is among them a warrior 
whose limbs are like young fir-trees, and in whose 
glance is sunlight; surely it is the fearless youth, 
Lakshmana ? And near him moves One with strange 
majesty of bearing, whose countenance has a sad, 
godlike beauty. This must be Rama, for there is 
not his like among mortal men !" 

" It must be Rama," repeated Sita; and a smile irra- 
diated her sweet face as she flung her arms round the 
neck of the good old Rakshasi. 

Meanwhile, those were ill tidings the Minister Pra- 
hasta had brought Ravana. The Rakshasas had been 
utterly routed by the gallant Wild Men of the Woods, 
and only a few stragglers had returned to tell the tale. 
With them the Raghuide had sent the noble Orang- 
outang Angada to speak a warning in the ears of the 



AN G ADA'S DEFIANCE. 



261 



inhabitants of Lanka. The fearless son of Balin 
now stood forth in the midst of the town, and shouted 
so that in every palace and hut his voice was heard. 

"Rama, the Friend of Living Creatures," he cried, 
"the lion-hearted Warrior Lakshmana, and Sugriva, 
King of the Simian tribes, salute the citizens of 
Lanka. Let those who love justice, and to whom 
Havana's sin is odious, quit this evil city, or hold them 
safe within their dwellings, for it is not the pleasure of 
my Lords to slay the innocent. To Ravana, he who 
is called the Scourge of the Three Worlds, the noble 
Rama sends this message. < Thou hast made an ill 
use of the gift of life,' says the Beloved of Gods and 
mortals • ' thou hast turned thy powers of mind and 
body against the Law of Justice, and set thy pleasure 
in opposition to the Eternal Will of Brahm. This 
last crime has summed up thy guilt; thou hast trans- 
gressed the limits— and must die ! Thou hast caused 
too many tears to be shed to look for mercy. Yet,' 
says the blameless Hero, ' would I spare thee shame 
and suffering J Send back the august Princess of 
Mithila forthwith; and thou, build thee a funeral pyre, 
and cleanse thee of thy guilty life within the purifying 
Flame. So may thy soul find mercy with the Gods, 
and thy death at least be worthy of a King ! ' This 
done, the noble Raghuide pledges him to quit these 
shores ; and thus thy servants' lives, and the wealth 
and prosperity of this fair city of Lanka, may be 
spared ! " 

Then rose up a mocking laugh from the courtiers 
of Ravana. 



Chap. XV, 

A ngada pro- 
claims in 
the names of 
Rama and 
Stigrtva 
that no 
terms will 
be made 
with 
Ravana. 



262 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XV, 



Rdvana 

orders 
A ngada to 
be scourged ; 
but he 
escapes, and 
returns to 
the camp. 



The iv a* 
begins. 



" On my word," said the Monarch, " this precious 
Rama, the chosen associate of Apes, has a valorous 
tongue ! We shall see if blows be as easy to him as 
words ere long. Meanwhile, to show our apprecia- 
tion of his generous counsels, let us instruct this envoy 
of his in courteous bearing. Seize him, and let him 
i be scourged forthwith ! " 

But the doughty Angada broke easily from those 

j who essayed to tether him; and springing on to the roof 

of the palace, clapped his hands, and shouted aloud : 

" Long life to the gallant Dasarathides, and their 

chosen ally, Sugrlva ! Death to Ravana, who has filled 

the world with tears ! " 

Afterwards, with a few bounds, he returned to the 
Simian camp. 

Then the war began in earnest. Armed with 
shoreas, palms, and huge trees of every description, 
the Wild Men of the Woods marched against Lanka. 
The colossal golangula, 1 Kumuda, with a hundred 
thousand Apes, blockaded the eastern gate; the 
western was attacked by Sushena, the magnanimous 
parent of Tara; Satabali, with his hosts, assaulted 
the southern barrier ; whilst Rama, Lakshmana, and 
Sugrlva assailed, unaided, the northern portal. The 
Rakshasas, in serried bands, charged forth from each 
gateway on the invaders. Then ensued a fearful 
struggle, — the Demons brandishing clubs and pikes — 
the Simians wielding their gigantic trees, and rending 
their enemies with their teeth and claws, in a frenzy 
of ferocious rage ! 

1 Golangula— ape with a cow's tail. — Note by Fauche, 



INDRAJIT'S SACRIFICE. 



263 



All day they battled thus ; night came on : and 
then the fight grew hideous. It seemed the stars 
refused to shine on such a scene of carnage. 
The adversaries could barely discern each other's 
forms ; and such shouts as, " Art thou a Rakshasa ? " 
• • Art thou a Simian ? " were frequent, ere two dusky 
giants rushed at each other, and grappled in mortal 
combat. The Bears, who had followed in troops 
Sugriva's army, stalked about — their swarthy forms 
hidden by the night — devouring the Rakshasas in 
the midst of the battle-field ! The sound of drums 
and trumpets blended hideously with the shrieks 
and groans of the wounded, and served to keep 
up the delirious fury, which had half its source in 
terror. 

All through that night, the noble youths Rama and 
Lakshmana moved calmly from post to post ; the rage 
and evil excitement of the others had no place with 
them; they seemed, too, to bear charmed lives, for 
no arrows reached them, nor were they soiled by 
blood. 

In the grey of morning, Indrajit, Ravana's eldest- 
born, and the most dreadful among the Rakshasas, 
withdrew a space from the battle. In a lonely field, 
whence was heard the tumult of the fight, he built him 
an altar, and adorned it with blossoms, crimson, as 
though soaked in blood. Then, kindling a fire there, 
he stabbed a struggling Ram he had dragged thither 
by the horns, and poured its blood upon the altar. 
A moment the sacred Fire hissed, and seemed about 
to die in smoke ;— then sprang up a little Flame of a 



Chap. XV. 

The battle 
by night. 



hidrajit 
builds an 
altar. 



264 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XV. 



Iudrajit * 
invokes the 
Fire. 



A chariot 
rises out 
from tJie 
Fire. 



Iudrajit, in- 
visible to his 
e?iemies, 
hangs over 
tfie Simian 
army, dis- 
tressing it^ 
with his 
magic 
arrows. 



cruel red, and the fierce Indrajit, falling on his 
knees, caught the flush and heat of it upon his 
face, whilst round him gloomed the pale shades of 
morning. 

" Fire, eager for destruction," chanted he, " who 
hast been fed on blood, and learned the lust of 
slaughter,— Fire, whose burning passion knows no 
check, whose appetite is never sated,— Fire, pitiless 
and fiercely cruel as myself, lend me thine aid ! 
Help me to slay mine adversary!" 

Suddenly the crimson Flame blazed up, and stained, 
through and through, the air with red; no floating 
smoke hung round, nor any golden Halo such as 
plays above the Brahman's' sacrifices ; but from the 
midst rose slowly a resplendent Car, drawn by six 
fiery steeds, and streaming from it was a serpent with 
golden scales, and cold gleaming eyes, the same 
device Indrajit carried on his flag. By that he knew 
this came in answer to his prayer,— and with a fierce 
laugh sprang into the chariot, and it upbore him into 
the dawning light. 

Wafted on by these miraculous Steeds, the Rakshasa 
soon hung suspended over the Simian host, invisible 
to all eyes, save those gifted with the sense of magic. 
The followers of Sugriva were mown down on all 
sides by this unseen adversary j it was as though the 
skies rained death on them ! 

" This is the work of magic, Brother!" cried Laksh- 
mana, in grievous wrath at the slaughter of the 
faithful Simians. "Hast not thou also weapons of 
miraculous power? Shoot off, I pray thee, the Dart 



RAMA AND LAKSHMANA WOUNDED. 



265 



of Brahma, that there may be an end of these Rak- 
shasas, and this foul city of Lanka ! It is vain to ply 
honest warfare against a nest of traitors." 

" Nay," returned the Raghuide ; " even among the 
Rakshasas may be many guiltless creatures undeserv- 
ing of death. Shall I use the arm Brahma gave to 
me in trust in a fit of heedless passion ?" 

Whilst he spoke, a shower of poisoned arrows 
covered Lakshmana and himself,— and, pierced by a 
hundred darts, the noble Brothers fell, like two large 
palm-trees blasted by the storm ! 

Then the fight stayed ;— simultaneously, a shout 
of triumph and a wail of anguish rang out upon the 
air ! 

"Behold!" shouted Indrajit, flashing into sight, 
standing erect in his flaming car; "behold these 
mighty Heroes, these godlike allies of the monkey 
tribes ! Was it worth while to build a mole across 
the sea for this ? Pick up your dead, ye poor deluded 
Apes ; get ye back from whence ye came, and hide 
your wounds and shame in the deepest, darkest glens 
within your forests." 

When he heard the Dasarathides were slain indeed, 
Ravana sprang from his throne and embraced his son 
in joy. 

" My presentiments were false ! " he cried, " Life, 
—warm, bright, voluptuous Life, shall still be mine ! 
And still shall I conquer the high spirit of my lovely 
Vaidehi." 

Meanwhile, Sugriva and Vibhishana rushed to the 
spot where the Brothers lay stretched side by side. 



Chap. XV. 



Rama and 
Lakshmana 

arezvounded. 



Indrajit 
taunts the 
Simians. 



266 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XV. 

Sugriva's 
grief. 



Vibhlshana 
re7iio?i- 
strates with 
Sitgriva, 



Rama re- 
covers a 
little. 



The faithful Orang-outang wrung his hands and 
sobbed aloud. 

"Rama!" he cried, "thou King of Men! My 
Benefactor; my Friend ; my Lord ;— Heavens, that 
I should live to see thee thus ! Would I were still an 
exile in the wood of Rishyamuka. Of what avail is 
wealth and power to me since thou art gone ? I will 
die with thee here, my Lord ! Thy poor Sugriva 
will stretch him by thy side ! Angada shall lead the 
Simians back to the sweet quiet forests ; I will return 
no more; I will not see again the pleasant cave 
Kishkindhya, nor Tara, the gentlest of she Apes. 
Bear her my greetings, Simians, and say I perished 
with the gallant Rama !" 

But Vibhlshana reproved the afflicted Ape. 
" This is no moment to give way to senseless grief," 
he said, sternly; "if dejection spread amid thy fol- 
lowers, the Rakshasas will exterminate them ; and not 
thou alone, but all this army will die on these shores 
of Lanka. For my part, I do not believe that death 
has clutched these Heroes. Mark the beauty of their 
countenances, and the still grace with which they lie ; 
it has not the rigid stirTness of those on whom the 
Icy Hand is laid. Indrajit deals much in magic ; if 
these youths be but held in trance, by some subtle 
poison, it may yet be possible to release them from 
the charm." 

As he spoke, Rama feebly opened his eyes, and 
raised him a little on his arm. The watchers round 
held their breath in anxious hope. But when the 
Hero's eyes fell on the senseless Lakshmana stretched 



/ 



MARUT'S WHISPER. 



267 



beside him, he sank back to the earth, his face turned 
to the dust. 

" It is well that death is near !" he groaned. "Alas, 
Lakshmana ! alas, my Brother ! my beautiful large? 
hearted Brother! Could I meet Sumitra without 
thee ? Could I return to Ayodhya, the palace we both 
loved— and the groves — and the wood that is near, 
where flows the river Sarayu ? It is for me, for my 
sake, thou didst choose exile— and hast found death ! 
Have I sometimes thought Heaven loved me ? It is 
well that I must die : I should lose trust in Brahm 
himself had I to carry in my heart the sight of thee, 
thus lying dead ! Forgive me, Vibhishana. I had 
kept my promise to thee, save that I must die. And 
thou, O dear Sugrxva, lead back thy Wild Men of the 
Woods. I thank thee for thy loyalty ; but all is vain 
now, since I must die !" ' 

Again his eyes closed, and his nether jaw fell ; it 
seemed that all was over. Then Sugriva sprang up 
and tossed his long arms wildly above his head. 

" Do what ye will," he said ; " for me, I swear I 
will not quit these shores ! Alone, I will drag Ravana 
from his throne; alone, I will tear out the false 
traitor's heart, who by fraud has robbed the world of 
Rama ; alone, will I rescue Slta, and then set fire to 
this vile town of Lanka, that there be none left who 
dare exult, because this godlike man has died." 

But at that moment Marut, the kindly Wind, 
whispered in the faint hearing of the dying Warrior : 

"Rama, Rama with the strong arms. Remember 
thy great heart ; be true to thyself. Bethink thee how 



Chap. XV. 



Seeing 
Lakshmana 
stretched 
beside him, 
Rama sinks 
bask once 
more. 



The Wind's 
whisker. 



268 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XV. 



the world is grieved with sin. Was it not thy mission 
I to cleanse it of Rakshasas, and by thy life to put evil 
j to a shame ? Call then to mind Garuda, the brave 

son of Vinata, charged, like thee, to rid the earth of 
! Vipers!" 

Struggling hard against the languor and the chill, 
the Raghuide, by a mighty effort, formed through the 
mists of dimness a thought of the divine Bird, whom 
| evil creatures dread. 

Then sprang up a gusty wind, so that the trees and 
mountains danced again • and in a rush, darkening 
the sky with his large wings, came Garuda, the 
celestial King of Birds. At sight of him the malig- 
nant Serpents, who in the form of arrows had thrust 
their venomous tongues into the Heroes' bodies, 
dropped writhing from their victims, and sought to 
hide them in the earth ! 

Then Rama and Lakshmana leapt to their feet and 
shouted loud with joy— and the whole Simian army 
shouted back again; and that Ravana heard and 
paled, as he sat among his courtiers 



Rama 
thinks of 
Garuda. 



The Khig qf 
Birds 

arrives, and 
Rama ajid 
Lakshmana 
are released 
froj7i the 
enchatit- 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE DEATH OF KUMBHAKARNA. 



Kumbha- 
karna's 
destructive- 
ness. 



Now Ravana had a younger Brother, by name Kum- Chap, xvi 
bhakarna. He was a Giant of a terrible aspect, and 
of baneful force of nerve and limb. Not that his 
nature was so very vicious, but his large body re- 
quired much sustenance ; therefore, to appease his 
hunger, he devoured most beings whom he lighted on. 
Many, too, he crushed quite unintentionally, because 
of the hugeness of his feet, and the weight of his 
monstrous hands. 

Thus, without much malice, the mischief he did 
was quite incalculable. 

In the early days, his children of every race had 
appealed to the Universal Father. 

"Bind, we pray Thee, this monstrous Kumbha- 
karna ! " they had cried ; " otherwise his insatiable 
appetite and formidable vigour will unpeople the 
realms of ocean, earth, and air." 

Then the magnanimous Ancestor of Worlds had 
summoned the lusty Rakshasa to his presence. 

"What is this I hear of thy inordinate gluttony 
and uncontrolled force of limb?" He had asked. 



summons 
hint to his 
presence. 



270 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap XVI 



Kumbha- 
karna 
is con- 
demned 
to sleep. 



He is 

allowed to 
mvake once 
in six 
months. 



The burly Giant, whose share of wit was small 
could find no excuse to make for himself; but whilst 
he stood sore embarrassed in the august presence, 
Brahma had duly examined his vast proportions and 
astounding muscular force. 

"Surely," the resplendent God had exclaimed "it 
was for the destruction of the world that thou wast 
engendered by the Son of Pulastya ! Thy monstrous 
bulk and proportional vigour have rendered thee the 
bane of thy fellow-creatures ! I will not judge thee 
as a criminal :-that thou mayst do no more harm 
-sleep, O Kumbhakarna! Thus only canst thou' 
lead a blameless life." 

At these words, the mighty son of Visravas had 

fallen down before the august Brahma, deeply 

slumbering. * J 

But his kindred and acquaintance had implored 
the Supreme Father to mitigate the sentence, 

" Dost thou condemn the tree whose nature it is 
to bear poisonous fruit?" they asked. "How has 
this innocent Kumbhakarna deserved punishment? 
bnall he know nothing of the joys of life ?" 

In answer to their petition, the most ancient of 
Gods accorded a day's grace to Kumbhakarna after 
six months of slumber. Thus twice every year the 
Colossus woke, and for the space of one day was 
free to provide himself with nourishment, and to 
roam over the face of the earth. 

All this while that war had raged without the gates 
of Lanka, Kumbhakarna had slumbered in bland 
unconsciousness, both of the tumult and the peril 



KUMBHAKARNA SLEEPS. 



271 



To seek to awaken him had not, as yet, occurred to 
Havana's mind. But ever, day by day, the situa- 
tion grew more desperate. There seemed no dimi- 
nution of the Simian host; yet at each battle the 
Lord of Rakshasas lost the noblest and most valued 
of his warriors : each setting of the sun signalized 
fresh loss for him — fresh triumph for his adversaries ! 
Nearer and nearer drew the Doom ; he, of all others, 
beheld it looming overhead. Yet as the circle round 
him narrowed, and hope receded, his defiant valour 
grew, with the savage heroism of despair. 

One day in the Council-chamber he let his blood- 
shot eyes roam round, counting how many were miss- 
ing there ; and, in a burst of savage grief, he cried : 

"How is it that I stand alone? Have I not a 
Brother, who should share my griefs? Whilst this 
Vermin, Rama, has cleared off from the woods, 
threatens to overthrow my fair town of Lanka, 
Kumbhakarna, glutted with the bestial pleasures 
in which he alone delights, enjoys the heavy con- 
tent of sleep ! Of what use to me is this Giant's 
prodigious strength, if at so critical a juncture it 
does not serve me?" 

When they heard that, his principal ministers rose 
and left the Council-chamber. Calling together many 
musicians, they loaded them with divers instruments, 
with rich apparel, and caskets of rich perfumes; 
themselves were charged with all manner of savoury 
viands, such as Kumbhakarna loved ; and thus they 
set off for the palace of the slumberous Giant. 

As they reached the portal, they were all thrown 



Chai>. XVI. 



The fresh 
losses of 
Rdvana. 



The Rak- 
shasa asks 
why Kum- 
bhakarna 
is allozued 
to sleep 
through 
such 
troubled 
times. 



The 

mi?iisters 
set off for 
the Giant's 
palace. 



272 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XVI. 

The 
ministers 

are tiearly 

thrown by 

Kumbha- 

karna's 

mighty 

snoring. 



They heap 
7'iands routid 
his couch. 



They 

anoint his 
hmbsivith 

perfumes. 



backwards by the tempestuous breathings of the 
mighty Kumbhakarna ! Holding to each other 
firmly, they succeeded, not, however, without diffi- 
culty, in keeping on their legs, and finally in enter- 
ing the apartment where lay the stupendous Son of 
Visravas, — supine, head thrown back, mouth open, 
snoring, so that the building trembled ! 

Then these intrepid Warriors, holding hard to the 
wall and to one another — for all that, thrown often by 
the tornadoes that issued from the Giant's gaping jaws 
— piled up round his couch mountains of buffalo flesh, 
whole gazelles, boars, and all manner of meats' tasty 
to a carnivorous appetite. Golden vases they brimmed 
full with blood and fiery liquors, and placed near, so 
that the odours streaming from them might caress 
pleasantly the Slumberer's nostrils. 

Then, exchanging congratulatory glances, they re- 
tired a little out of the too gusty atmosphere of 
Kumbhakarna's immediate vicinity, — and awaited the 
result. 

But no sensible effect was produced; perhaps a 
slight smile irradiated the Monster's countenance; 
but, if even their fancy did not mislead them here, 
it was only in sleep that the savoury odours gave him 
pleasurable sensations ; for evidently his stupor was 
not shaken, nor were even his boisterous snorings 
abated. 

Nothing daunted, the servants of Ravana proceeded 
to anoint the Giant's limbs with oil of sandal-wood; 
they laid rich garments on him ; afterwards they 
sounded brazen trumpets; they shouted simulta- 



THE SLEEP OF KUMBHAKARNA. 



273 



neously, and clapped their hands, and leapt, until 
the mighty couch on which he lay was shaken ! 

Still Kumbhakarna slept. 

Then they fetched camels, and asses, and elephants, 
and, shouting the while, they lashed them till the 
frightened creatures galloped round and round the 
vast chamber, with a din and tumult that was heard 
through all the town of Lanka ! 

But, even so, Kumbhakarna wakened not. 

Out of patience with this opiniative Sleeper, they 
took to maltreating him. Some laid hold of his 
shaggy, unkempt hair, and swung by it to and fro ; 
others pinched or pummelled him ; — one fastened 
his teeth viciously on the helpless Kumbhakarna's 
thumb ; — more again belaboured him with mallets, 
clubs, and hammers. But nothing of all this dis- 
turbed the heavy Son of Visravas ! Nay, — even when 
they leapt on to his prostrate body, and ran races on 
him from head to heel, and back again, his slumbers 
appeared not a whit the less serene 1 

Then they tried a fresh expedient. They brought 
thither the most lovely damsels in all the town of 
Lanka. Their footsteps were very light ; but as they 
fluttered forward, the purling of their silver nupuras 
rang out, sweetly and clearly. Fragrance floated on 
with them ; and sunshine streamed from their beauty : 
they joined hands round the couch of the torpid 
Giant, and, laughing aloud, sprang into graceful 
dances ; bending down near to him ; calling to him 
in song, — in song, telling him of all the delights of 
love, and wooing him to regard them. 

T 



Chap. XVT. 

The 
ministers 

try ail 
manner of 

de-dices for 
awaking the 
Giant. 



At length 
they bring 
young 
maidens 
there, and 
bid them 
dance and 
sing. 



mm 



274 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XVI. 



Xumbha- 
karna 

awakes. 



He demands 
nvhy they 
have dis- 
turbed him. 



"We are daughters of Ananga, the amorous God !" 
they sang ; " do not close thine eyes against us • 
O Kumbhakarna, do not close thine heart against 
us ! " 

In the mists round Kumbhakarna, a shower of 
stars were flashing ; — in the breast of Kumbhakarna, 
a host of flowers were springing ; — in the heart of 
Kumbhakarna, a singing-bird was laughing ; — in the 
ears of Kumbhakarna, sighed, sighed a zephyr — that 
grew into a song — that broke into the ringing of 
nupuras — that merged into the laughter of young 
maidens ! 

The Rakshasa flung up his large arms ; a yawn, 
strenuous as the heaving of some submarine volcano, 
distorted his cavernous mouth ; then with a mighty 
sigh that shook the walls' foundations, his eyes rolled 
back their lids, and he lay staring round him in stupid 
amaze. 

Seeing they had roused the dull-brained Giant, the 
Dancing Girls, still laughing and singing, vanished 
one by one through the doorway ; — then his eyes 
rested on the row of timorous courtiers, who clung to 
each other, cowed by the return to consciousness of 
him whom they had lately outraged. With another 
hideous yawn, the Demon sat upright. 

"For what cause have ye disturbed me?" he 
roared. " One does not lightly break the slumber of 
a Prince of royal race ! " 

The obsequious Rakshasas bowed them to the earth, 
and Yupaksha, the noblest in the company, answered, 
reverently : 



THE A WAKENING OF KUMBHAKARNA. 



275 



" We are the servants of thy Brother, the great 
Ravana. The Sovereign of Gods and Rakshasas has 
need of thee, resplendent Kumbhakama; there- 
fore have we broken in on thy repose." 

When he heard that, the brawny Demon leapt to his 
feet at once. Ravenous after his long fast, he flung 
him on the food prepared for him, and soon the great 
piles of meat disappeared between his monstrous 
jaws ; then seizing one by one the golden vases, he 
drained each at a draught. 

Drunk with blood and fiery liquor — his riotous 
strength alive to the full once more — Kumbhakarna, 
with a dreadful laugh, glowed on the ministers of 
Ravana. 

" I am ready ! " he cried. " Who is my Brother's 
enemy ? Be he from Mount Mem, or from Tartarus, 
he shall hardly stand before me now." 

Mahodara, the wisest counsellor among the Rak- 
shasas, answered : 

" The noble Ravana's life is put in peril, not by the 
rivalry of Demons, nor the indignation of the Celestial 
Armies, but by a multitude of ferocious Apes, led on 
by a Prince among Men, one Rama, son of Dasaratha. 
Already Aksha, the hereditary Prince, has perished, 
and the noblest warriors of our tribe have shared his 
fate ; nay, Ravana, the Victor of the Deathless Gods, 
has more than once been driven from the field ! In 
earth, nor heaven, is none capable of mastering these 
savage Men of the Woods, save thou, O Kumbha- 
karna ! Deign then to follow us, and reassure thy 
Brother and our Lord," 

t 2 



Chap. XVI. 



The Giant 
devours the 
food beside 
him. 



He demands 
the name of 
his Brother s 
enc7ny, and 
JMaJiBdara 
tells the race 
of Rama. 



276 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XVI. 



Ravana is 
rejoiced at 
sight of his 
brother. 



He 

Kumbha- 
karna an 
account of 
the ca?cse of 
this war. 



So, accompanied by the Yatavas, the colossal Rak- 
shasa started for the palace. As he passed through 
the streets of Lanka, the confidence of the citizens 
revived: flowers were showered on him, and shouts 
of triumph rose on every side. 

" Among the Simians, is there a warrior like to 
this ? " they cried. " Will Rama, or Lakshmana, or 
Sugriva match them against our Kumbhakarna?" 

At sight of the lusty Giant, Ravana, with a cry of 
joy, sprang forward to greet him; he flung his own 
necklace round him, and embraced him affectionately; 
then he drew him to a throne beside his own, and, still 
holding his hand, exclaimed : 

" Lanka and myself are saved ! Since the disabling 
hand of sleep has released thee, O my hero, the case 
is changed : — Rama's life, not mine, is now the one in 
peril!" 

" Ay," returned the other, " the danger is to thine 
enemy's life — not thine : but who is this Rama ? and 
wherefore does he battle with thee, Ravana ? " 

Then, with an evil sneer, the Fiend replied : 

"Rama is very noble ! They call him 'the Friend 
of Living Creatures,' which means that he chooses for 
associate never mind how vile and low a being. 
He gave up his crown through dread of his step- 
dame's tongue, as though it were a merit to be a 
paltry chicken-hearted fool; this has gained him great 
credit with the Gods, who love to keep men humble. 
After his exile he built a hermitage in our wood of 
Dandaka, with no more reason than right ; for what 
does a would-be saint in the domains of the Lord of 



KUMBHAKARNA'S ADVICE. 



277 



Rakshasas ? There, because Surpanakha, our Sister, 
presumed to look with too much favour on his 
smooth false face, he and his brother fell on her and 
hewed off her nose, and hacked her hideously. Then 
Khara and Dushana, furious at the story of her 
wrongs, arrayed them in battle against this Rama ; but 
he slew them with some magic arms, bestowed on him 
by Brahma. When I learnt this, knowing that this 
paltry, malignant Rama was wedded to a Princess 
of more beauty than Lakshmi, Queen of Heaven, I 
resolved, as most efficient vengeance, to carry off this 
bright young Bride of his. This plan I consummated, 
and it is because I hold his Sita a prisoner here that 
Rama has allied him with these Wild Men of the 
Woods, and brought them to defile my fair town of 
Lanka!" 

Now, as has been said before, Kumbhakarna's 
disposition was not naturally an evil one. 

" It had been better to dare this truculent Prince 
to combat, than to carry off his Wife," he said. " My 
counsel, Brother, is that we send back this Sita, ere 
we defy the Warrior in battle. A bad deed weakens 
the arms, and spoils one for honest warfare." 

At that, Ravana's brow grew dark. 

" I do not need thy counsels, Brother," he said ; 
"nor is this the moment to discuss the merits of 
my past actions. If I troubled thy repose, it was 
that thou mightest help to extricate me from my 
present strait." 

Then Kumbhakarna fixed his eyes mildly on the 
angry Monarch. 



Chap. XVI. 



Kumbha- 
k aru a 
counsels to 
send back 
Sita. 



2 7 8 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XVI. 

Kuiubha- 
karna tells 
of his jneet- 
ing with 

Narada. 



Of the 
council on 
Mount 
Meru, and 
the decision 
that Vishnu 
shall become 
man for the 
destruction 
of Ravana. 



"One day that I sprang from my six months' 
slumber," he said, "tormented sore by hunger, I 
ravaged the glens and forests, and devoured an incal- 
culable number of living creatures. At length, my 
craving appeased, I sat me down on a rock, and 
Narada passed me there. So, making room beside 
me, I called to the Messenger of the Gods, and invited 
him to sit by me, and to chat awhile. 'Whence 
comest thou?' I asked him, seeing he was in a great 
sweat, and looked fatigued. 'From Mount Meru,' 
he answered; 'there were assembled Brahma, and 
Vishnu, and Siva, and Mahendra, with the lower Gods, 
and Garuda the enemy of Vipers, and the Stars who 
battle against shade.' 

: ' ' For what cause was this large gathering ? ' I asked. 

; ' To consult how Ravana, the Lord of Rakshasas, 

and all his evil brood might be destroyed ! ' replied 

the God. Struggling hard to conceal the dismay I 

felt, I asked again : 

" 'And was there a plan decided on ? ' 
"'Many and many a scheme was suggested,' re- 
turned Narada; 'but Brahma refused to listen to 
them. "An Immortal's word is sacred," he said, "and 
I have guaranteed this Ravana against Gods and 
Demons ; against the venom of serpents, and the fury 
of beasts of prey ; only at the hands of man can he 
receive death, for from man only he claimed no 
exemption." Then Brihaspati, the Guru of the 
Immortals, turned to Vishnu, in whose sight life is 
precious : " Let thy Divinity put on the Human Cloak ! " 
he said. " Long enough has the short life of mortals 



RA VANA TA UNTS KUMBHAKARNA. 



279 



been filled with tears. Take the form of man, and 
cleanse the world of Demons ! " 

'"So be it!' shouted the Gods ; and thus the matter 
was decided.' 

" As I sat there, aghast, the Celestial Envoy rose, 
and, bidding me farewell, returned to Paradise. 

" Now, Brother, if this Rama be he of whom Narada 
spake, that" is, Vishnu hidden in a human shape, it 
were not well to provoke him more to wrath." 

At that Ravana laughed aloud.' 

" It is well said of thee, O Kumbhakarna," he 
cried in scorn, "that what thou hast in bulk more 
than other mortals, thou hast the less in wit ! Tell me, 
thou blatant Simpleton, would Vishnu, thinkest thou, 
choose for ally Sugrlva, King of Apes ? Or again, if 
this Divinity had taken so much scorn on him, solely 
for my destruction, though I sent back Sita twenty 
times, should I disarm his wrath? Besides, what mat- 
ter ? If Rama be this Vishnu, and Lakshmana Siva ; 
if the Orang-outang, Sugrlva, be Brahma, and Han- 
uman the Sun-god Indra; I, Ravana, can face them 
all, and die, if needs be — but not yield ! Go, get thee 
to thy couch again ! Sleep, eat, drink, lead thy 
bestial life : — I myself will face these foes, since in 
all thy monstrous frame there is not heart enough ! " 

Only the last words struck Kumbhakarna ; it was 
true, he was but shallow-brained. His interview with 
Narada, and all his misgivings, escaped his memory; 
— he only knew he was accused of want of daring. 

Drawing himself up, he looked down on Ravana and 
his courtiers. 



Chav. xiv. 



Ravana 
mocks his 
Brother, 
and taiui t s 
him with 
lack of 
courage. 



28o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XVI. 

Kumbha- 
karna pro- 
fesses his 
readiness 
J or the 
encounter. 



As he e?iters 
the field the 
Apes a?'e 
alarmed at 

his gigantic 
stature. 



A ngada 

rallies 

the Simians. 



"Where are thine enemies?" he asked. "Who 
says I have not heart to face them?" 

Swiftly changing his tone, the wily Lord of Rak- 
shasas loaded the Giant with flatteries. He put into 
his hand a pike of gleaming silver, and gave him his 
own cuirass of gold. 

"Go forth," he cried, "and lead on my young 
Warriors to triumph ! " 

At that, Kumbhakarna, who had reached the 
doorway, paused. 

"I need not thy young Warriors!" he said, 
doggedly; "I will go alone." 

But Ravana soon overpersuaded the simple Giant. 
"It is not meet thy Grandeur should contend with 
Apes," he urged. "Wrestle thou with Rama and 
Lakshmana; thy followers will hold the Simians 
employed." 

So the monstrous Son of Visravas, in a chariot 
drawn by a hundred asses, led on a gallant company 
to the battle-field. At sight of the dreadful Giant, 
Gavaksha, Sarabha, Nlla, and Kumuda, who were 
m advance of the others, flung down their weapons 
and fled. But Angada recalled them with wrathful 
shoutings. 

"Whither would ye go, Poltroons?" he cried. 
" Behind you lies the sea, and around you are those 
who will slay all traitors to the cause of Rama. In 
front are the Rakshasas. Fling at them, then ;— -there 
is your only chance of life ; and if ye perish, is not a 
hero's death better than a dastard's?" 

At his voice the fugitives returned, and seizing once 



SUGRlVA MADE CAPTIVE. 



281 



more their clubs and trunks of trees, awaited the 
onslaught of the colossal Rakshasa. 

As he neared, the valiant Angada hurled a mighty 
rock at him ; the asses were overturned, and the 
charioteer fell dead. With a .savage roar the Demon 
leapt from his car, and brandishing his mighty pike, 
rushed on the Simian ranks, mowing down his foes 
by hundreds, and trampling them under his feet. He 
seemed impervious to all blows, and even to poisoned 
arrows ; nothing checked him in his work of slaughter ; 
and though he was soaked in the blood of his victims, 
he had not himself a single wound. 

Presently, bounding over the corpses of his loyal 
servitors, came the furious Sugrlva, armed with a 
mighty shorea-tree. 

" Hola, thou savage Monster ! " he cried, " leave 
my Men of the Woods awhile, and try thy strength 
with mine ! " 

Kumbhakarna held his sides for laughter. 

Beside himself with rage, the Simian Chief rushed 
at the lusty Demon ; but his great tree snapped into 
bits as it smote Kumbhakarna, who only laughed the 
more. But as Sugrlva was about to renew the attack, 
the Colossus snatched up a rock that had been 
thrown at him, and flung it easily at Sugrlva ; and, 
stunned by the blow, the Monarch of Simians fell 
fainting to the earth. 

Then Kumbhakarna picked up the senseless Orang- 
outang, and held him above his head between his 
finger and thumb. 

"Your Chief is dead, illustrious Apes !" he shouted. 



Chap. XVI. 



Kumbha- 
karna 
having 
slaughtered 
7) 1 any Apes 
is defied by 
Sugrlva. 



Having 
stunned 
Sugriz'a, the 
Giant holds 
his body up 
in sight of 
the Simian 
army. 



2&> 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XVI. 

Having in- 
sulted the 
Apes, Kum- 
bhakarna 
marches off 
carrying 
Sugriva. 



Recovering 
conscious- 
ness 

Sugriva 
makes his 
escape, and 
the Giant 
1 ushes back 
to the field. 



He is 

7vonnded by 
Kama. 



"I give you one hour to decamp and fly; after- 
wards, ye shall be whipped from off these shores of 
Lanka." 

So saying, he strode from the field, bearing the 
Monarch of Apes in his arms. But ere he reached 
the ramparts of the town, Sugriva revived. With a 
sudden spring the fierce Orang-outang leapt up into 
the Demon's face, and tore it down with his nails 
till the Monster howled again from rage and pain. 

Obeying his first impulse, Kumbhakarna flung 
the Ape from him with all his might. In no wise 
injured, the gallant Sugriva picked himself up again, 
and in a few bounds was soon once more amid his 
loyal servitors. 

The furious Giant, blinded with rage and blood, 
rushed back to the field. All whom he encountered,' 
Rakshasas and Simians alike, he trampled under foot, 
or crushed between the palms of his hands, and de- 
voured in sight of the two camps. 

Meanwhile Rama and Lakshmana, who had been 
assaulting the western gate, now first heard of Kum- 
bhakarna's onslaught, and rushed to the scene of 
action. 

" So ho, Rama ! " shouted the Giant to him from 
afar, "dost thou dare to match thy strength with 
mine ? Thy gallant ally, the Ape, can scratch like 
an angry woman ; hast thou more warlike modes of 
battle?" 

In answer to the scornful defiance, an arrow from 
Rama's bow shot through the Giant's arm. As a 
withered leaf falls off in winter, the shattered limb 



THE DEATH OF KUMBHAKARNA. 



2S- 



dropped down • and — the quivering muscles working 
still — the hand yet clutched a club, and pounded it 
upon the ground, as though a Will still guided it ! 

But Kumbhakarna, in a frenzy, tore hither and 
thither in the battle-field ; falling on the Simians with 
his teeth ; tearing, kicking, and crushing them till the 
earth was strewn with corpses ! Gaya, Gavaya, 
Gavaksha, Nila, and Angada flung them on him, 
and sought to hold him down ; but he shook them 
off from him as easily as a wild boar tosses away 
the dogs. 

He was rushing straight at Rama, when a second 
arrow from the Hero's bow struck him in the side. 
The only hand now left him clutched down to drag 
forth the dart ; — but ere it reached it, it dropped down 
by his side. With a crash like a mountain hurled 
down from its height, the Giant fell ; as his head 
smote the ground, his heart broke — and he died. 



Chap. XVI. 



Kumbha- 
karna's 
frenzy. 



He is slain 
by Rama. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



Chap. 
XVII. 



Ravands 
oath. 



THE LAST COMBAT — LAKSHMANA WOUNDED. 

Nikumbha, Makaraksha, Matta, Unmatta, and Viru- 
paksha had found a like fate with Kumbhakarna; 
most dire misfortune of all, Indrajit, whose fierce' 
wild nature had endeared him to Ravana, fell also,' 
slain by the unerring shafts of the brave Lakshmana. 
The Monarch of Rakshasas, surveying the army, and 
the court, and the streets of his beloved City, and 
everywhere beholding tears, and on all sides hearing 
wails of mourning, swore a mighty oath that this state 
of things should end. 

In sight of the Widows, Mothers, and Orphans, 
weeping before his throne, he clenched his hand, and 
hurled his large fist aloft. 

"By Yama's Soul, I swear," he shouted, "that ere 
nightfall this Dasarathide, or myself, shall bite the 
dust ! " 

On that, he decked him in his most splendid robes, 
set on him his tiara, and his jewelled necklace, and 
girdle studded with pearls ; and, like a guest bound 
to some festival, sprang into his chariot, and rushed 
forth— eager to brave his fate ! 



RA VANA 'S DEFIANCE. 



285 



At sight of him, the Simians set up a yell of hate 
and rage ; — he yelled back at them — but his blood-red 
eyes took in naught in all that battle-field, save the 
figure of his enemy; who leant upon his bow, not 
joining in the shout of execration, but with his stern, 
grave eyes fixed on the desperate Ravana. 

" Rama ! Rama ! " roared the Fiend, " the hour 
has come ! There is not force enough in Life to bear 
the stress of Hate between us two ; — or thou, or I 
must die ! Be thou God, or Man, or Devil, step forth, 
— and let us wrestle, each for life." 

Rama, still with his calm gaze on the Demon, 
prepared his bow, and answered the defiance only 
by his arrows. The Rakshasa tossed the winged 
shafts away with one hand, as though they had 
been drops of rain ! But a dart from Laksh- 
mana's bolt struck the Demon's charioteer; and, 
at the same moment, Vibhishana brought his club 
smashing down on the skulls of the two foaming 
coursers, and stretched them bleeding heaps upon 
the field! 

With a low roar, like that of a lion roused from his 
lair, the Lord of Rakshasas leapt from his car, and 
rushed at Vibhishana. 

" For the kindred there is between us, I owe thee 
a debt," he cried. " Brother, I will rid thee of thy 
vile and treacherous life ! " 

But ere he could reach Vibhishana, Lakshmana 
stepped in front of the furious Demon and caught his 
raised lance between his hands — snapping it off into 
two fragments. Then Ravana turned upon the 



Chap. 
XVII. 



The 

Rakshasa 
challenges 
Rama. 



Ravana 's 
charioteer 
slain by 
Lakshmana, 
and his 
coursers by 
Vibhishana, 



Ravana 
turns on 
Vibhishana, 
but Laksh- 
mana inter 
poses. 



2S5 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST, 



Chap, 
XVLI. 

Havana 
turns on 
L akshmana 
and wounds 
him with a 
magic spear. 



Rama drives 
R dvan a 
from the 
field. 



Rama 
grieves f of 
-Laksh- 
mana. 



Sumitride; in a moment lie had the young warrior 
by the throat. 

"Who shields a traitor, incurs his doom," he said 
sternly; « think on thy wife, or child, or mother or 
on whom thou holdest dear-for thou art about' to 
die ! " 

And with that, he plunged into the Hero's side the 
I fatal spear of Maya; and, bound by its baneful en- 
chantment, Lakshmana sank senseless to the earth 

From afar, Rama saw him fall. The first shock of 
so terrible an apprehension struck him numb ■ but 
soon hot indignation lent him unusual fury • ' and 
bounding over the bodies strewn about the field he 
flung him, madly, on Ravana, and drove the Fiend 
before him, as a leaf is carried by the wind i Long 
the two Warriors battled ;-at the last, feeling himself 
spent by the Dasarathide's eager attack, Ravana 
retreated behind the walls of Lanka, for a breathin. 
space; whilst Rama, anxious for his brother, was glad 
to seize the momentary truce, that he might learn how 
it fared with him. 

Angada, Hanuman, and Sugriva surrounded the 
unconscious Hero. Vainly had they striven to with- 
draw the fatal spear ; Rama now joined his efforts to 
theirs, but the cruel weapon resisted even his ener-v 
and strength I Seeing this-and that Lakshmana gave 
no sign of life-Rama covered his face with his two 
hands, and wept aloud. 

_ft.tSn.toa, the father of Tara, and the most 
skilful leech among the Wild Men of the Woods strove 
to comfort the noble Dasarathide. 



HANUMAN' S ERRAND. 



287 



" Thy Brother is not dead, magnanimous Prince ! " 
he said. "The smile of life has not yet left his 
countenance. He is held thus motionless, and cold, 
by the power of magic. Alas that we should be at 
such a distance from our native forests ! There grows 
on the slopes of the Mount Gandhamadana a plant 
of sufficient virtue to heal this warrior forthwith \ but 
it should be applied without delay : and who were 
able to take so long a journey, and to return here in 
a few hours, at the most ? " 

" That am I," said Hanuman, Son of the Wind. 

Rama turned, and wrung the hand of the faithful 
Marutide. 

" If Lakshmana be restored to me," he said, " I 
will see again Ayodhya, the pleasant town where 
reigned my fathers : — otherwise, I will leave my 
bones upon these shores of Lanka." 

Then Sushena took the valorous Hanuman apart, 
and gave him many instructions. 

"The plant is of a yellowish hue," he said; "the 
fruit is green ; the flower of a light gold, with a scent 
of sandal-wood. It creeps along the earth, and loves 
to hide it in the grasses. Dost thou note me well, 
Hanuman ?" 

"Ay, ay!" returned the impatient Marutide, in 
too great haste to be gone to heed much Sushena' s 
wise directions. 

Now as this Hero amongst Quadrumanous Creatures 
sprang upwards to pursue his journey through the 
pathway of the air, his large form attracted the 
notice of Ravana. 



Chap. 
XVII. 

Sushena 
tells of the 
miraculous 
plant that 
grows on 
Mount 
Gandhama- 
dana. 



Hanuman 
proposes to 
fetch it. 



Sushena 
describes 
the plant. 



Ravana sees 
Uauwran 
fly off, and 
suspects his 
errand. 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. 
XVII. 



Ravaua 
sends 
Kalanemi 
to outmatch 
Ha?iuman. 



He calls to 
B karat a, 
and tells 
him he is 
Kama's 
£uvoy. 



Hatiuman 
passes over 
Ayodhya, 
and is seen 
by Bharata. 



" That is Hanuman, the audacious Ape who de- 
stroyed my asoka grove, and burnt so many houses " 
he thought. " Doubtless they have sent him to fetch 
the panacea, which grows on Gandhamadana. " 

So the crafty Rakshasa called to him Kalanemi, 
a Demon well-learned in magic. 

"Prevent the return of this truculent Marutide," 
he said • « and thou shalt have half my kingdom ! » ' 

Then, by virtue of past macerations, Kalanemi 
transported himself in a moment to the side of 
Gandhamadana, and, in the garb of a Hermit, 
awaited the coming of Hanuman. 

The direction followed by the loyal Ape soon 
brought him above Ayodhya. It chanced that 
Bharata, absorbed in many thoughts of Rama, was 
standing in the street beneath. 

" That is a marvellous Creature I perceive above 
me!" he exclaimed; "let me arrest his flight with 
this arrow, that I may discover to what race he 
belongs." 

Then he prepared his bow. Hanuman, noting 
that, became uneasy. 

"For," reflected he, "this Prince has doubtless 
some of his brother's skill in archery!" 

So he called to him : 

" Hola ! hola ! noble Bharata, lay aside thy bow. I 
am an. Envoy from the illustrious Rama, who is 
now besieging the town of Lanka." 

Delighted to hear his brother's name, Bharata 
questioned him of the Hero's health and fortunes. 
Then the Marutide told of the rape of Sita, of 



KALANEMPS HOSPITALITY. 



289 



the passage of the Sea, the Siege, and now this 
grievous wound of Lakshmana's, the sunny-hearted 
Warrior. 

"I must quickly return with this healing plant," 
said the Orang-outang, in conclusion ; " therefore, O 
Prince, grant me permission to pursue my road." 

With many praises of his loyalty and devotion, 
Bharata wished the indefatigable Simian good speed, 
and watched him continue his journey with re- 
doubled haste. He did not pause again till he 
reached the Mount Gandhamadana. As he alighted 
on firm ground, the fictitious Hermit, Kalanemi, 
approached him, and invited him to rest awhile in 
his hut hard by. 

"The wayfarer is ever a cherished guest to the 
lonely Anchorite !" said the Demon, adopting the 
humble tones of a penitent. Hanuman thanked him 
courteously, but declined his hospitality, pleading 
the pressing nature of his mission. 

" At least," urged Kalanemi, " drink, and lave thy 
face in the clear waters of yon crystal lake. It grieves 
me to see a fellow-creature in such a heat and sweat !" 

Not to appear ungrateful, the Orang-outang walked 
down to the limpid lake, where lotus flowers and red 
nympheas wove them into garlands. But as he 
stooped to drink, a Crocodile, springing up from the 

treacherous blue waters, clutched him by the throat. 

That was not a great matter to our indomitable Ape. 
He dragged the monster off, as though it had been I 
some leech merely : and, that it might entrap no more 
thirsty travellers, tore it in twain. 

u 



Chap. 
XVII. 



Bharata 
■wishes him 
good speed. 



Kalanemi 
invites 
Hanuman 
to rest in hi 

hermitage. 



The Aj>e is 
seized by a 
C?-ocodile ; 
but he 
destroys the 
monster. 



290 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. 
XVII. 

From the 
Crocodile 
rises a lovely 
Apsara. 



Hanuman 

snsfiects 
A dlauemi's 
treachery. 



Kalanemi 
avows him- 
self to be a 
Rakshasa, 



What was his amaze to see, rising from the 
slaughtered crocodile, a lovely female form. Just 
above him the fair Vision paused. 

" Hail to thee, Marutide, and thanks !" she cried ■ 

"thou hast released me from a cruel enchantment 

A holy Penitent, whose staid reflections my beauty 

j once disturbed, condemned me to this hideous form. 

' But,' said he, ' when Hanuman, that Bull amongst 

Quadrumanous Creatures, shall come to Gandhama- 

dana, thou shalt cast off the Crocodile, and be once 

more the lovely Apsara, Gandhakali.' Therefore did 

I take thee by the throat, Simian ; forgive me— that I 

| may return joyous to the palace of Kuvera." 

I So Hanuman, wondering much at the Apsara's 

| beauty, said : 

"I am glad to have done thee this service, en- 
chanting Gandhakali : thou didst me no injury ; go 
in peace, O Flower of Beauty !" 

When the Apsara had vanished, Hanuman thought : 
" I will go tell the holy man what strange Creatures 
dwell within his crystal lake." 

But the Anchorite seemed so much disturbed by 
the appearance of Hanuman, safe and sound, that the 
wily Simian's suspicions were aroused. 

" Holy Father," said he to the false Hermit, " it is 
strange how marked a resemblance thou bearest to 
the Demon Kalanemi ! " 

Then the Rakshasa, seeing he was discovered, cast 
by his hermit's garb. 

"Yes," shouted he, "I am that Kalanemi, the 
favoured servant of Ravana ! And half his king- 



THE INHABITANTS OF GANDHAMADANA. 



dom shall be mine when thou, Ape, hast entered 
the realms of Yama !" 

So they rushed at each other, and battled fiercely 
there. This time it was no easy struggle, for the 
Demon was strong and subtle ; but even so he was 
no match for Hanuman ! After a savage tussle, the 
Simian crushed the Demon between the cable of his 
arms, and wrung the breath from him — so he died. 

Now, what with this encounter and his too im- 
pulsive haste, Hanuman had forgotten every word 
of the minute description of Sushena. 

" Something there was of green and yellow arid 
gold," he reflected ; " but what the flower was like, 
or what the fruit of this miraculous plant, I have 
no notion !" 

In his perplexity, he sought counsel from the 
Gandharvas, who made this mountain their home. 

"Show me this precious Antidote, I pray," he 
said. " Is not this Gandhamadana within the do- 
main of Rama? And do not ye owe him love and 
service as loyal subjects?" 

But at that the Gandharvas flew into a pet. 
" Subjects of Rama's ?" they shrieked. "We— the 
genii of this mountain, governed by a man ? Know 
thou,. Insolent Ape, that the great Princes, Huhti 
and Haha, are our lawful sovereigns : — As for thee 
and thy Rama, get thee gone; thou shalt not pluck 
our healing plants !" 

Then one and all set on him ; so Hanuman, up- 
rooting a palm-tree, slew these cantankerous Gand- 
harvas. 

U 2 



Chap. 
XVII. 



and is 
killed in a 
battle with 
Hanwnan. 



Hanuman 
forgets the 
description 
of the plant. 



He questions 
the Gand- 
harvas, ivho 
refuse to 
answer. 



He slays the 

Gandhartns. 



292 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. 
XVII. 



Ilanumarr 
breaks 
of the 
7>wuntai?i 
and carries 
it away. 



He brings it 
to Rama, 
and bids him 
find the 
healing 
plant. 



Rama's 
gratitude. 



But when that was done, he was no nearer to a 
means of recognizing the miraculous plant 

"There is no< time for me to return and consult 
Sushena," meditated the Ape, taking his chin in 
his hand; "one course alone is open to me." 

So, calling to mind his valiant father the Wind, 
who lets no obstacle arrest his will, Hanuman 
I snapped the great mountain off from its base ! 
! Large drops fell from its ruptured veins of metal ; 
the living creatures who dwelt in its caverns, and 
the birds whose nests were amid its forest trees, 
quaked for terror as the doughty Simian shouldered 
Gandhamadana, and, without more ado,, bounded 
back into the air's pathway ! 

When, thus laden, the valorous Orang-outang 
appeared in sight, the Simian army shouted in mad 
triumph. — Ravana bit his nether lip, and said : 

" It were a pity I should die ere I have put that 
Kalanemi, traitor or dolt, to divers sorts of torture !" 
Hanuman, alighting, laid down the mountain at 
Rama's feet. 

" Thou Prince of men !" he said, " my Master and 
dear Lord, see, here is this Gandhamadana. The 
nature of the plant dripped through my memory. I 
have brought thee the mount itself. Seek thou 
for it!" 

Then Rama fell on his neck, and embraced him 

before them all ! As for Angada and Sugrlva, they 

each held one of the brave Maru tide's hands, and 

shook them till his colossal frame swayed to and fro. 

Sushena meanwhile had plucked the healing, plant. 



LAKSHMANA RECOVERS. 



293 



One leaf he laid across Lakshmana's brow, a second 
on his heart ; he bruised the fruit, and with its 
luscious juice moistened the young warrior's lips. 

Lakshmana opened his eyes. He seemed dazed 
awhile, like one awakened from a deep sleep. But, of 
a sudden, he sprang to his feet, tossed back his hair 
that the fresh wind might reach his brow, and, look- 
ing round on them, laughed — half in wonder, half in 
joy — to feel himself so strong ! 

"Brother!" he cried to Rama, "did I dream, or 
didst thou swear to slay this Rakshasa ere nightfall?" 

" I swear it now !" said Rama, seizing the young 
warrior's hand, still cold after that chill trance. 



Chap., 
XVII. 

Sushena 
lays the 
plant on his 
ivotind, .am,d 
Lakshmana 



Chap. 
XVIII. 

Havana's 

miraculoiis 

Chariot, 



The 

Immortals 
appeal to 
Indra, 
a?id he con- 
sents to lend 
his own 
Chariot to 
Jidma. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE LAST COMBAT (CONTINUED). — DEATH OF 
RAVANA. 

^Ravana, by means of magic, constructed a fresh 
Chariot of War. It was of more dreadful aspect 
even than the renowned Pushpaka. The car of 
ebony, unrelieved by any golden chasings, was 
drawn by two coal-black steeds, with faces that 
strangely resembled the countenance of man. So 
nearly was this dark chariot an emanation from his 
soul, that his thoughts alone set the wheels gyrating, 
and he was borne along silently, as in a sombre 
cloud, swiftly, as his eagerness for the combat was 
fierce and strong ! 

When the lower Gods saw the Rakshasa sweeping 
on thus against the tall, slight Rama, they hastened 
to the Palace of Mahendra. 

" This is no fair struggle !" they said. " Behold, O 
God of Light and Storm ! Ravana sits aloft in this 
strong chariot, whilst Rama is on foot." 

Then the Lord of the Firmament sent down his own 
Chariot for the Dasarathide's use. It was a shell of 
softest, palest blue ; and above it, a banner of rosy 



CO MB A T BE TWEEN RA VANA AND RAMA. 



2 95 



purple fought with the gusty air ; four tawny coursers 
were harnessed to it. They had manes bristling with 
gold, and golden plumes nodded over their brows, 
and golden bells tinkled merrily from round their 
necks. 

As the radiant Car touched the earth, a cry of 
admiration broke from all the Wild Men of the 
Wood j — but Sugrlva, Hanuman, and Angada called 
out at once : 

"Rama, beware ! This is some wile of the crafty 
Rakshasa's !" 

" Nay," said Vibhlshana ; " I know the secrets of 
magic possessed by the learned of my people. So 
bright a thing as this cannot spring from their en- 
chantments ! " 

Whilst Rama hesitated, the celestial Charioteer, 
Matali, called to him: 

"Hail, Sun amongst the Princes of Men!" he 
cried ; " Indra himself has sent thee this Car of Vic- 
tory, that thou mayest triumph over this cruel Fiend, 
and deliver the oppressed races of the earth !" 

Then Rama, having described a pradakshina round 
Mahendra's Charioteer, leapt gladly into the resplen- 
dent Car, and Matali urged the tawny coursers into 
speed. 

When Rama and Ravana met, it seemed the battle 
between Light and Shade. 

The darts of the Rakshasa were so many venomous 
serpents; but Rama, with arrows formed of the 
plumes of Garuda, King of Birds, drove them off 
from him. Soon there was darkness round the 



Chap. 
XVIII. 

The Car of 

Indra. 



The 

Simians 
fear 
treachery 



Matali re- 
assures 
Rama, and 
he enters the 
chay-iot. 



The meetui, 
of Ravana 
and Rama. 



296 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. 
XVIII. 



Rama tells 
Ravana all 
his guilt. 



Rdvaua's 



His 

Charioteer 
carries hi is ■// 
from the 
field. 



two warriors, because of the myriads of arrows that 
wrapped them as in a seething cloud : — through 
this gloom the calm, clear voice of Rama rang out 
over all the battle-field. 

" Ravana," he said, " thou Lord of evil creatures, 
death is so near, it is well, for once, thy soul should 
have clear vision of itself! Because thou hast seen 
living creatures tremble at sight of thee, pride has 
swollen thy heart, and thou hast thought, < Am not I 
mighty ? \ Know that it is a shameful indigence to 
lack the trust of the innocent !— Because to gratify 
thy lusts thou hast defied the law of Brahm, thou 
hast cried, 'I am more powerful than the gods!' 
Thou poor Ravana ! Thou hast been the most ab- 
ject of all slaves; the toy of those low instincts the 
very brutes hold in some government i — Because now 
thou wouldst meet death with scornful arrogance, 
thou thinkest, 'Am not I a Hero?' Nay, Demon 
—for scorn is the dastard's quality, narrowing all 
things to fit his soul. Life is a godlike power; the 
true Hero reverences it in others and himself!" 

Maddened by the sweet strong voice, and the words 
whose truth he recognized, yet loathed, spent by 
fatigue and rage, the dark of arrows hissing round 
working him into wild excitement— the Rakshasa's 
nervous grasp failed him ; the string of his bow was 
slack, and his shafts went wide astray. Seeing that, 
his Charioteer of a sudden wheeled the car round^ 
and, dashing in by the northern gate, sheltered his 
Master by the wall. 

Then Ravana hurled down his weapon, and turn- 



RA VAN A MORTALL Y WOUNDED, 



297 



ing his tearless, despairing eyes on the Charioteer in 
fierce reproach, asked : 

"Because fortune abandons me, hast thou too 
turned traitor? Is it not enough for thee that these 
foes will slaughter me ? Wouldst thou shame me in 
my death ? " 

Then his servant flung him at the Rakshasa's feet. 

"I love thee, great R a van a," he cried; "thy high 
renown is dear as my own life ! Because I saw that 
passion and fatigue had marred thy skill, I risked 
thy wrath, and brought thee from the field." 

Ravana let his large hand fall on the other's head. 

"I thank thee for thy love," he said; "yet resume 
thy post,— drive me back once more." 

As he was borne swiftly to the field, a flock of vul- 
tures hung over him. Where he went, they followed; 
—moving slowly, as it seemed, though the faithful 
Charioteer lashed frantically his steeds to escape from 
the shadow of these birds of evil omen ! 

" Thine hour has come, Rakshasa ! " cried Rama ; 
and with a hissing dart, tore off one of the Demon's 
heads. But at once another sprang up in its place. 
Again and again the Dasarathide severed the Rak- 
shasa's heads; but they were always replaced directly,, 
and Ravana appeared in no way injured ! 

"Why dost thou aim at the Demon's heads?" asked 
Matali, the celestial driver; "that is not the seat of 
the evil which makes him vulnerable." 

Obeying this hint, Rama adjusted in his bow the 
terrible Dart of Brahma, and aimed at Ravana's heart. 
As the celestial Shaft struck him, the Lord of Rak- 



Chap. 
XVIII. 



Ravana 
reproaches 
his 
Charioteer. 



His 

servant's 

excuse. 



Ravana bids 
him return 
to the field. 



Matali 
counsels 
Rama, who 
aims at 
Ravana's 
heart. 



298 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. 
XVIII. 

The death of 
Rava?ia. 



The solemn 
triumph. 



Mandodari' 
despair. 



shasas flung his clenched fist above, as though even 
then defying Heaven— tottered to the edge of his 
chariot, and-like a ruptured mountain— crashed to 
earth ! 

At first was no shout of triumph ;-a deep long 
breath hushed through the army— whilst from afar 
were heard the muffled throbbings of the Drum of 
Victory, sounded by the Celestial Hosts ! 

Then down from heaven fluttered a rain of flowers; 
a fresh soft breeze sprang up; all there heard the 
Gandharvas singing: and round Rama a troop of 
bright Apsaras joined hands, and danced for joy ! 

" Hail to Rama, the Friend of Living Creatures ' ? 
cried the Simians then. * The Evil power is broken, 
the reign of Justice has commenced ! " 

Meanwhile, the Rakshasis, weeping and lamenting, 
had flung them on the earth beside the body of 
Ravana. Vibhishana, too, stood near, and looked on 
the noble frame of his dead Brother with tearful eyes. 
One alone amongst the widowed consorts of 
Ravana wept not, nor smote her breast, nor threw 
her on the earth— Mandodari, the Diamond amongst 
beautiful Women. She stood erect— her two hands 
held across her breast— a strange, fierce passion paling 
her— scorn on her lips, and in her large eyes— agony ! 
u Dost thou lie thus low ? " she said. " Thou— Victor 
of the Deathless Gods-there in the dust, whilst all 
these watch the blood trickling away from thy great 
heart? Where is the power of thy large limbs— the 
fire of thy glance— thy majesty of mien— the thunder 
of thy voice ? All dead ?— all in the dust there ? Ay, 



THE DEATH OF MANDODARl. 



299 



so it ends : so ends thy amorous Folly, O my Lord ! 
Thou didst not heed me; how shouldst thou heed 
me, when eye, and ear, and heart, — once mine i all 
mine, — had gone from me ? This Sita. . . Was there 
no woman in all the world but Sita, — no charms 
like hers, — no beauty more than hers ? Was I — Man- 
dodari — foul of favour ? Or was I cold to thee ? Or ; 
did I keep back beauty of soul or body ? All Demon j 
though thou wert, — did I not love thee, O Ravana ? But 
her tears were dearer to thee than any smiles of mine ! 
Nay, her very scorn and loathing of thee won more ! 
passion than all my ardour ! Well — thou didst choose \ 
between us, and — thou liest there. Why should I j 
mourn, — II Since thou didst unclasp my arms in j 
life, shall I cling to thee in death ? Thou gavest me j 
scant love ; shall I be lavish of my grief ? . . .Yet — yet j 
— a Giant, O Ravana ! — and hadst thou loved me as 
in the early days, I had not looked upon thee thus — 
and lived ! " 

She stood a moment, still ; then, with a strange wild 
cry, " My Lord ! " she said : — she said " My Love — " 
and fell beside the corpse ! 

They sought to raise her ; they called to her, " Man- 
dodari, Diamond amongst beautiful Women ! " But 
she did not answer.— Then they put their hands upon 
her heart — and found that it had ceased to beat ; so 
they laid her down tenderly beside her Lord. 1 

Then Rama, approaching Vibhlshana, said : 

" See, Friend, that these two have royal obsequies." 

But Vibhishana hesitated. 

1 Vide Note. 



Chap. 
XVIII. 



Mandodarl 
dies of 
j zriej. 



Rama com- 
mands that 
they have 
funeral 
honours. 



3°o 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. 
XVIII. 

Vibhl- 
shana's 
objections 
are an- 
swered by 
Rama. 



The funen 
pyre. 



"Were it well," he asked, "to give funeral honours 
to Ravana, who made so ill an use of life ? " 

The Dasarathide answered : 

"Death has removed Ravana beyond our judg- 
ment; see on his brow the still calm seal which 
proves the supreme acquittal ! It is in mercy Brahm 
has quenched out the evil from this soul, that failed 
to earn a noble immortality : shall man use harsher 
justice than Eternal Brahm?" 

^ So, at his command, they raised a noble funeral 
pile, and adorned it with wreaths of flowers and 
costly jewels. Then on Havana's breast they laid 
the mighty bow he had never cast aside in terror ; 
and kindling the sacred fire, they stood round in 
silence, — watching the flame spring up and wrap 
the great Ravana and his impassioned Bride in their 
last shroud of , fire. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE REUNION OF SIT A AND RAMA. 



In the low-roofed cavern 7 where pale, weird 
steeped through the flowering creepers, lay the Cap- 
tive, her head upon her arm — asleep. 

This had been a day of terrors. From afar, the 
tumult of the battle had seemed the confused mut- 
terings of the wrathful God of Storm ; then, the shout 
the Rakshasas gave when Lakshmana fell had reached 
her ears ; and later, on, another shout — then stillness, 
so utter and deep, that she had almost preferred the 
stormy sound of fight, to which these last days had 
accustomed her ; for there at least was sign of life. 

There was no one she might question as to what 
had chanced. The Rakshasis had thrown up their 
post of gaolers ; her cavern was unguarded • but she 
feared this might be some snare of Ravana's, so re- 
mained in her rocky prison, wondering sore, till sleep 
came and eased her of anxiety. 

She was roused from tranquil dreams by the con- 
sciousness that some one stood there, gazing on her. 
With a shudder, she opened her eyes, thinking to meet 
the hateful gaze of the Lord of Rakshasas ; but when 



li°"ht* 'Cm-ap. xix. 



Silas ap- 
prehensious 



She falls 
asleep. 



302 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIX. 



Sit as 
Visitor. 



Hanuman 
tells her the 
good news. 



TTc says 
Kama will 
send for her 
at sunrise. 



she recognized her Visitor, she gave a little scream 
of joy, and, springing to her feet, seized his hand 
affectionately. 

" Thou Pearl amongst Quadrumanous Creatures ! " 
she cried, between laughing and weeping, "thou hast 
come with tidings from my Rama ? " Tears conquered 
then, and fell in a glistening shower on the hand of 
the faithful Hanuman. 

[ "Nay, nay, my Princess!" pleaded the tender- 
| hearted Marutide, sore distressed to see her weep, 
" the hour of tears is past. Rama has triumphed, 
; Lady with the radiant eyes ! Thine enemy, the cruel 
! Ravana, is slain ! Henceforth is joy for thee and thy 
j Beloved. Oh, wherefore dost thou weep ? " 

" For happiness ! " she laughed back through her 
tears. "And my Lord is here? And I shall see my 
Lord ? " 

"Right soon," returned the other, embarrassed 
seemingly. " Doubtless he had sent for thee to-night, 
but that the Field is strewn with corpses, and our 
Warriors stained with blood. At sunrise he will send : 
—because of this delay, doubt not thy Rama's love, 
august Lady ! " 

He had not needed to say that: to doubt her 
Lord's love had never yet chanced to Sita. 

"At sunrise he will send," she repeated; "at sun- 
rise— in a few short hours ! How I love thee, thou 
most comely and kind of Apes ! " 
• And there was such a light in the smile she turned 
on him, that the faithful Simian's heart bounded with 
pride and pleasure. 



SlTA GOES TO MEET RAMA. 



3°3 



" Grant me one favour, august Princess ! " he cried. 
" I am in a heat of joy and devotion to thee, hard to 
bear ! Let me avenge the insults thou hast received 
from the hideous Rakshasis ; it were a relief to tear 
them with my claws, to knock them down, and 
trample on them ! Have I thy leave, O star-eyed 
Queen ? " 

Then, because her great happiness strove to find an 
outlet, Sita laughed merrily at that. 

" Fie on thee, thou vindictive Hanuman ! " she 
said, and shook her finger at him. " Nay, thou shalt 
not touch those poor old Rakshasis ; I would not for 
all the world ill should chance to them ; I would not 
any creature should be in grief to-morrow ! " 

It seemed a long time waiting for the dawn ; yet 
Sita. never thought, " Why is not Rama here ? Since 
Hanuman could reach me in my prison-house, why 
could not he?" 

Her great love made her trustful. 

At first blush of dawn, Vibhishana, the new Lord of 
Rakshasas, came laden with rich apparel and jewels, 
and caskets filled with rare perfumes. 

"Array thyself, gracious Princess, in these robes 
befitting thy rank," he said; "then we will conduct 
thee to thy noble- spouse." 

"Nay, courteous Demon," returned Sita; "but 
I will first go to my Lord in these mean garments; 
then if it please him, I will deck me in this splendid 
apparel." 

But Vibhishana, thinking to do Rama a pleasure, 
said : 



Chap. XIX. 

Hamiman 
asks if he 
may punish 
the Rak- 
shasis. 



Sita forbids 
him to harm 
them. 



Vibhishana 
ccmies to 
fetch Sita, 
and brings 
her jewels 
and rai- 
ment. 



304 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIX. 

Vibhlshatia 
bids Slid put 
on this 
bright 
apparel. 



Slid is 
carried in a 
palanqtcin, 
and the 
Simians 
press rozmd 
her to 

Vibhfshana's 
wrath. 



Rama says 
their gaze 
cannot con- 
fuse Slid 



Sztd 

marvels at 
her Lord's 
coldness. 



" Thy Lord desires thou shouldst return to him in 
the full splendour of thy beauty." 

Hearing it was her husband's will, Sita put on the 
queenly robes the Rakshasa had brought her, and 
stepped into the gorgeous palanquin, whose draperies 
and fringes were of gold, interspersed with brilliant 
gems. 

As the lovely Bride of Rama, carried by four of 
the noblest Warriors among the Rakshasas, approached 
the late field of battle, the inquisitive Simians pressed 
round the palanquin, seeking to get a view of this 
Princess, whose beauty was a marvel in the three 
worlds. 

Vibhishana drove them back, chiding them angrily 
for their ill-bred audacity. 

Then the gentle Vaidehi heard her Rama's voice, ' 
and it sounded strangely cold and stern to her. 

" Why dost thou vex these Warriors, Vibhishana? " 
he asked. " I see no wrong that they should look on 
this Princess— who comes from the harem of the 
Rakshasa ! Long ere this, the radiant Sita has no 
doubt laid by her coyness ; let them gaze their fill.— 
The eyes of my honest Wild Men of the Wood will 
not work her harm." 

At the cold displeasure of his voice, Sita's heart 
failed her. She sprang from the palanquin, and had 
rushed forward to him, but astonishment and wounded 
love, combined with the joy of seeing him again, held 
her there unconscious of all else, seeking to read his 
averted countenance. 

The enthusiastic Simians could not refrain from a 



RAMA'S SUSPICIONS. 



>o5 



cry of wondering admiration as they looked at her. 
The bloom of her youth had not faded, but fresh 
majesty and warmth were added to it : — never 
in her sunniest days had she this resplendence and 
glow of beauty. Rama recognized this at once, — 
and it was a torture to him ! 

" Am not I a worn and broken man ? " he asked. 
" Have not sleepless nights weakened my frame, and 
given fever to my blood? has not the incessant 
torment of regret hollowed out my eyes, and driven 
the healthful glow from either . cheek ? But she ? 
What trace of sorrow have these long cruel months 
left on her ? She comes to me more brightly lovely 
than before, and decked in the raiment of a 
Queen. Ah, if for all these charms there were one 
line of care — one wrinkle on her brow — a little dim- 
ness of the eyes, speaking of tears, — the faintest 
cloud upon her youth, — how gladly had I gathered 
her in my arms! But now, where in this radiant 
Sita shall I find my Love ?" 

Meanwhile she stood there, her large eyes implor- 
ing him ; but because they were so bright, he heeded 
not. There was a murmur of surprise and discontent 
among the Wild Men of the Wood. Lakshmana, in 
spite of his great reverence for Rama, was wroth to 
see the lovely Princess thus slighted in the sight of 
this vast company. 

" Brother," he urged, " thy Beloved stands there 
waiting ; hast thou naught to say to her, — no word 
for this dear, gentle Sita, whom thou hast so often 
wept ? " 

x 



Chap. XIX 

Rama is 
grieved to 
fi?id Sita. 
so little 
changed. 



Lakshmana 
remon- 
strates with 
Rama. 



3o6 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST. 



Chap. XIX. 

Rama says 
that grief 
has made 
him unfit 
fior such a 
radiant 
bride. 



Sit a appeals 
to Rama. 



"Have I wept for her?" answered the pale, stern 
Rama. " That was my folly— She had more wisdom 
than to spend her days in tears ! What should I say 
to this enchanting Princess, Lakshmana? Speak 
to her rather thou ; for thou art young and happy yet, 
and shouldst be better able to use pleasant flatteries! 
Tell her she is of rare loveliness, and that this rich 
apparel becomes her marvellously well :— Say, too, 
that this Rama, to whom she once was pledged, has 
in a few short months outlived his youth— there is not 
enough amorous heat left in his blood to be stirred 
at sight of all her charms— yet bid her take heart \ 
doubtless there are many willing to replace Ravana 
at her side, and, for the sweetness of her glances, to 
forget her sojourn in the harem of the Rakshasa. Tell 
her that Rama forbears to claim her— that she is free 
of Rama ! He has laved his shame, and that suffices ; 
he is sick of love ! " 

At this, Slta, casting by pride and resentment, 
came and fell down at his feet. 

"Alas!" she said, "I dreamed another greeting 
from my Lord than this ! Why, if thy heart had 
turned from me, didst not thou send word by thy 
messenger— this Hanuman ? I had died then, and so 
had thy shame been laved, and all the fatigue of 
this great army, and the loss of innocent life, been 
spared. But thine Envoy brought me messages of 
love, and therefore I lived on. Thou speakest of 
suffering and torment of regret, my Love ! I am a 
woman— timid, frail of health and frame— was not 
the burthen harder to support for me ? And then I 



SJTA'S APPEAL. 



307 



fain would think my ears deceived me, — but I heard 
thee name the harem of the Rakshasa? Rama, this 
Hanuman can say how I was lodged : a captive in a 
lonely cavern, where came no sunlight, tormented by 
the menaces of hideous Rakshasis, and threatened 
by Ravana with instant death ! — But I am still 
beautiful, — sayest thou? Since it offends thee, I 
would that I had no charm left ! I take no pride 
nor pleasure in being comely for myself. When the 
Saint Anasuya gave me the gift of unfading loveli- 
ness, I was happy only because I thought of thee ! 
But since thou hatest my beauty, I hate it too ! 
Take from me all grace of face and form, ye puis- 
sant Gods, and only give me Rama's love !" 

And so she fell a-sobbing, and kissed her Lord's 
feet, and bathed them with her tears. 

Rama, pale, and struggling hard against his grief 
at seeing her thus, still put her from him. 

" There is no beauty to be compared to thine in 
the three worlds !" he said. " Wouldst thou have 
me think Ravana was dead to all these charms, and 
kept thee prisoner merely out of hate to me ? Nay ; 
though thy heart be innocent, his love has tainted 
thee !" 

Then, with sad dignity, the Vaidehi dashed away 
her tears, and rose from the dust at his feet. 

" Son of Sumitra," she said, turning to Lakshmana, 
"in thine eyes I see pity and trust of me ! Build me 
a funeral pyre, Brother; since I am tainted in Rama's 
sight, it is time that I should die !" 

Indignantly the Sumitride collected a vast pile of 
x 2 



Chap. XIX. 



Rama still 
turns away 
from Slid. 



Sit a bids 
Lakshmana 
build her a 
funeral pile. 



3 o8 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Chap. XIX. 



Sita ascends 
the pyre. 



She prays 
to the God 
of Fire to 
prove her 
i7i7iocence. 



Agni 

appears, and 
carries her 
to Rama ' s 
arms. 



Rama ex- 
plains that 
he chose she 
should be 
justified. 



boughs and trunks of trees scattered about the 
field. 

" When he sees his innocent Sita ascend the pyre, 
Rama's heart will relent," he thought. 

But, with eyes sad with unshed tears, the Dasara- 
thide watched the gentle Princess mount the funeral 
pile ; and, even when the sacred Fire sprang up round 
her, gave no sign, nor spake one pitying word. Then 
Lakshmana, Sugriva, Angada, and Hanuman rushed 
forward to drag Sita from the pyre :— But, with a ges- 
ture of command, Rama waved them back. Their 
reverence for him made them obey; but an angry 
murmur spread round, and indignant eyes glared on 
him from all sides. 

"Agni, God of Purity and Light!" prayed Sita, 
amid the flames, "if I am true, and clean, and bright 
of soul as thou, then prove my innocence to Rama 
and all this host!" 

A golden Flame, smokeless, and of clear radiance 
as the sun, swam round her. Then from the midst 
sprang Agni, the resplendent God, who, bearing the 
Princess from the pyre, placed her in Rama's arms. 

Then was broken up the Hero's forced restraint. 

"I hold thee!" he cried, "my Own— my Love!" 
and wept for joy. 

Sita, lying on his breast, asked : 

" Yet didst thou doubt me, Rama ?" 

He answered : 

" Nay ; or I had not trusted thee to the pure God 
of Fire ! But it was needful there should be no speck 
on thy soul's whiteness : — for thy own sake first ; then, 



KING DASARATHA. 



309 



for the sake of all these here — that they might learn 
that loveliness of outward form cannot make vice 
more tolerable; and that where is not utter re- 
verence, is no true love ! Dost thou forgive me, O 
my Queen ?" 

She answered not in words, but clung more close 
to him. 

Above the two, as they stood thus embraced, ap- 
peared a Cloud-chariot, gilded by the sun, and within 
it, behold Dasaratha, the aged King of Ayodhya ! 

He smiled on his children there. 

"Rama," he cried, "the fourteen years of thine 
exile have elapsed. Well hast thou served thy fellows, 
and done honour to the Soul entrusted thee during 
thy wanderings ; return now to the pleasant Town 
where reigned thy fathers. When thou hast given 
to mankind the example of a just governor, and hast 
shown moderation in prosperity, as thou hast already 
displayed patience in affliction, thou shalt join me 
in the Restful World. Thou, too, Lakshmana, and 
thou, my large-eyed Daughter, shall enter Paradise 
with this Hero ye have loved and followed through 
his days of trouble ! " 

Raising his hands to his brow, Rama cried to the 
ancient Monarch, reverently : 

" Father ! if thy love and favour be mine indeed, 
grant me a pleasure ere thou depart. Thou didst 
quit life in wrath against Kaikeyl and the innocent 
Bharata. ' I abandon thee and thy son !' didst thou 
say to thy once favoured Consort. Deign to remit 
thine anger. Empower me to say to the repentant 



Chap. XIX. 



Dasaratha 
appears in 
a chariot 
of dozed. 



He bids 
Rama 
return to 
Ayodhya, 
and assures 
him, as we, I 
as Sit a at id 
Lakshmana, 
of his 
approval. 



Rama begs 
that 

Kaikeyl and 
Bharata 
may be 
pardoned. 



3io 



THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 



Dasa?-atha 
grants the 
request. 



He blesses 
his children 
and returns 
to Paradise. 



Chap. xix. Kaikeyl, 'Dasaratha pardons ; ' and to the just 
Bharata, 'Thy Father's love is thine.' Thus, 
Magnanimous King, shall disunion and ill-feeling 
cease ! " 

Dasaratha answered : 

"At thy request, Rama, I pardon Kaikeyl, and 
restore my favour to her son.— Have ye aught else 
to ask, my children ? for I may not linger." 

" Thy Benediction ! " cried they all— and fell upon 
their knees. 

Then the ancient King spread his hands out above 
the two Heroes, and Slta, the Vaidehi. And as he 
ascended slowly, still he looked on them— and blessed 
them still. 

^ At length the blue of Heaven opened, and wrapt 
him from their sight— till the time should come, as he 
had promised, when all three should join- him 'in the 
Restful World. 



NOTES 



CHAPTER I. 

Note i, p. I. " Eighteen hundred years before the Christian era.'" — 
This is the date given in the introductory chapter of Fauche's French 
translation of the Ramayana. Monsieur Michelet, in the ' ' Bible de 
l'Humanite," attributes the Poem to a still earlier period, mentioning 
2000 B.C. as the latest epoch admissible, There seems, however, to be 
little unanimity of opinion amongst Sanskrit scholars about even the 
approximate date of the Ramayana. Weber, in his Academical Lectures 
on Indian Literature, concludes, from the silence of Megasthenes, that 
there existed in his day no record of Indian Poetry ; whence he infers 
that the compilation of the Maha-Bharata, generally supposed poste- 
rior to the Ramayana, took place at some time between the year 
300 B.C. and 50 A.D., when it is mentioned by a Greek Historian. 



CHAPTER II. 

Note i, pp. 13, 14. " Eternal Spirit ," &c. " Brahtn" &c. — "Strictly 
speaking, the Religion of the Hindus is Monotheism. They worship 
God in unity ; and express their conceptions of the Divine Being in the 
most awful and sublime terms. God thus adored is called Brahm, the 
One Eternal Mind, the Self-existing Eternal Spirit, &c. The Will of 
God that the world should exist and continue is personified ; and His 
preservative power appear in Brahma and Vishnu ; while Siva is the 
creative and emblem of his destructive energy : not, however, of absolute 



312 THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 

annihilation, but rather of reproduction in another form. " ( Vide Moor's 
" Hindu Pantheon.") 

Note 2, p. 24. " The eight things of the Arghya."— Presents offered 
in a basket to a newly-arrived guest ; amongst these offerings were 
rice, darbha-grass, flowers, water, and honey, all of which had their 
emblematic significance. 

Note 3, p. 24. The story of the Hundred Daughters of Kusanabha 
scarcely admits of translation into English. At the same time it contains 
so much naivete and humour, that I have no hesitation in recommend- 
ing it to the notice of my readers, as it stands in M. Fauche's French 
translation, chap. xxxv. vol. i. French is an easier medium than 
our own language for the transmission of this primitive candour, which 
is free from all impurity ; and only seems coarse to our modern taste, 
because we are less simple and single-minded than men were in those 
early days. 



CHAPTER III. 

Note i, p. 36. " Tiger of Men."— "Expressions in frequent use are, 
Lion among Kings, Tiger of Men, Bull among Solitaries, &c.,when one 
would say : the most excellent of anchorites, the most eminent of men, 
the noblest of kings, &c. We have at times translated in this somewhat 
timorous manner, but have ceased to do so, seeing at once that it was 
to efface the individual, primitive, and local colouring." Thus speaks 
Monsieur Fauche. I, too, would ask my readers to pardon the first 
strangeness and apparent extravagance of these expressions in consider- 
ation of the covert fun glancing through them ; which, I do not doubt, 
will conquer in the end the objections they are pretty sure to be disposed 
to make in the commencement. I was myself inclined to call out on 
these characteristic phrases as barbarisms, unworthy of conversion; 
until the humorous significance of the term, "Bull among Penitents,'" 
as applied to the persistent Anchorite Visvamitra, won me over to the 
same opinion as Monsieur Fauche. 

Note 2, p. 36. i( Pradakshina."—A method of salutation, consisting 
of turning round the person to be greeted, taking pains always to have 
him to the right of one. 



NOTES. 313 

Note 3, p. 42. " Rahn. " — A headless monster, who in times of eclipse 
was supposed to devour the sun' or moon, as the case might be. How 
he managed this little matter, lacking a head, and consequently one 
would suppose a mouth, I cannot undertake to say ; nor do any of the 
Mythological Works I have searched throw light on the subject. . 



CHAPTER XL 

The occurrence of this chapter in the midst of the history of 
Rama's wanderings is somewhat unfortunate. I should have preferred 
placing it among the earlier chapters, where there was no continuous 
thread running through the narrative. But in so doing I should have 
seemed to interpolate a sketch of my own among the stories purport- 
ing to draw at least their subject-matter from the Ramayana. All I 
can suggest is that the Reader good enough to feel an interest in the 
fortunes of the bereaved Dasarathide should return to this chapter only 
after having seen the Hero well through his troubles. 

It is probable, too, that I may be accused of having given a significance 
to this Legend, unwarranted by aught in the original Poem. To a cer- 
tain extent, I plead guilty to the charge. That is to say, I admit that 
Valmiki relates the story of the false Brides of Indra without revealing 
any allegorical sense, nor intentionally suggesting any. But what then ? 
I do not profess to be translating the Ramayana ; merely, I am striving 
to put into readable form the leading incidents therein related. It is 
simply unavoidable that, to a certain extent, these stories should have a 
colouring of detail, and a purport more or less personal ; otherwise how 
could I hope to make them more than meaningless fragments of the 
great Poem, which dawdles languidly through seven formidable volumes, 
at a pace ill-suited to the impatient intellects of our busy age? 

At the same time, as far as the facts or leading points of the tale go, 
I have not, in any instance, departed from the original Work. That the 
Reader may judge for himself how far I am justified in lending an allego- 
rical sense to this fable, I will quote the passage as given by Monsieur 
Fauche, in the forty-fourth chapter of the fifth volume. 

Sugriva is giving a detailed description of the country he is sending 
certain of his envoys to explore. Having told them how they may reach 
the country of the Uttarakurus, he says : 

"II est defendu par un fleuve noir, grandement epouvantable et de 



3H THE ILIAD OF THE EAST 

qui le torrent impetueux entraine toute chose avec lui. Vous le traversez 
a grande peine, vous en fouillez habilement les deux rives, et vous entrez 
nobles Singes, cliez les Uttarakurus, grands, magnifiques, qui vivent 
toujours dans la joie et de qui 1'ame est inaccessible aux soucis. On ne 
connait la ni 1'hiver ni 1'ete, ni la vieillesse, ni la maladie, ni la crainte, 
ni le chagrin, ni les pluies furieuses, ni les ardeurs brulantes du soleil. . . . 
La cachees sous des arbres d'or, coulent sur un sable d'or, les rivieres a 
lotus d'or, oil les montagnes d'or vont baigner leurs pieds ; les nympheas 
d'or bruni couvrent de riches moissons les etangs. ... On ceuille sur les 
arbres des fruits qui sont de merveilleux bijoux, or au chaton de pierreries, 
et modeles suivant la forme que chacun desire. lis produisent a leurs 
branches et des lits, et des hausses brodes, et divers compositions de 
parfums. ... La, fieres de leur jeunesse et de leur beaute, vivent des 

femmes comblees des plus seduisantes qualites Les hommes de la 

plus haute noblesse, bien faits, vigoureux, de qui la bouche ne sait dire 
que des choses agre'ables ou flatteuses, tous devoues a la volupte, 
exempts de fatigue, de faim, de peril, et d'inquietude habitent la avec 
leurs epouses au sein d'une grande fortune et dans la satisfaction de 
tous les desks. ... On voit des femmes d'une incomparable distinction, 
aux yeux de lotus, aux visages de nelumbos. . . La jeunesse de toutes ces 
femmes s'ecoule dans un seul jour ; elles naissent au lever du soleil et la 
nuit a son retour les voit deja vieilles ! On sait que jadis elles furent 
des Apsaras, qui sans plus songer au Monarque des Immortels passaient 
le temps a s'amuser dans ces lieux aimables. . . . Le grand Indra les 
maudit toutes. . . Tous les jours naissent et meurent ces femmes qui 
furent des Apsaras, et la malediction du grand Indra les roule ainsi de 
la naissance a la mort. " 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Note i, p. 203. " Hanuman 's tail? — I was much startled by the an- 
nouncement, that this illustrious Orang-outang was so far favoured beyond 
his species. In fact I confess to having had some design of suppressing the 
tail altogether ; but as the Reader will perceive, later on, that would 
have involved passing over many memorable events in silence. Now 
not being myself a Sanskrit scholar, I cannot tell whether my authority, 
Mons. Fauche, may have erred in calling Hanuman an Orang-outang. 
He certainly does so speak of him : for example, in the first chapter of 
the fifth volume, and in other instances. But after all there may be no 



NOTES. 315 

mistake ; Hanuman was altogether an extraordinary Ape ; might he not 
have possessed a tail, together with his other exceptional qualities, — or 
have obtained one in recompense for a few thousand years of self- 
maceration? 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Note i, p. 248. " The Oath of the Kshatriya." — " The oath on admis- 
sion into the military order or caste of the Kshatriya, was the origin of 
the vows of Knighthood in the Middle Ages." (Note of M. Fauche.) 

Note 2, p. 252. " Visvakarman." — " The Architect of the Universe, 
and the fabricator of arms for the Gods, is the Son of Brahma, and the 
Vulcan of the Hindus. He is also called 'Sootar,' or carpenter, and 
presides over arts and manufactures." ( Vide Coleman's "Mythology of 
Hindus.") 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

I should, perhaps, state that Valmiki does not mention the death of 
Mandodaii ; yet her fate, as related in this chapter, appears to me quite 
in keeping with the impassioned though jealous character of the 
"Diamond among Beautiful Women." 



THE END. 



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